Classics and Greco-Roman Archaeology

"[O]ffers the most comprehensive collection to date of primary sources in translation for the study of ancient Greek athletics."

"Miller has compiled a trove of ancient sources, on boxing, the pentathlon, the buying and selling of victories, literary competitions, and female body building. He offers readers an absorbing lesson in the culture of Greek athletics from the ancients themselves."

"Presents a series of essays that apply a socio-historical perspective to myriad aspects of ancient sport and spectacle. Covers the Bronze Age to the Byzantine Empire."

"Sansone advances a revolutionary thesis to account for the widespread phenomenon of sport. Drawing upon ethnological findings to demonstrate the ritual character of sport, he explores the relationship between ancient Greek sport and sacrificial ritual and traces elements common to both back to primitive origins."

"Explores the relationship between sport and democratization. Drawing on sociological and historical methodologies, it provides a framework for understanding how sport affects the level of egalitarianism in the society in which it is played."

"This sourcebook looks at sport and recreation in ancient Greece through translated accounts of ancient Greek and Latin authors. It examines such diversions as the ancient Olympic Games, athletic clothing, women in sports, dining, dancing, and fishing."

"Provides a concise and readable introduction to ancient Greek sport. It covers such topics as the links between sport, religion and warfare, the origins and history of the Olympic games, and the spirit of competition among the Greeks. Its main focus, however, is on Greek sport as an arena for the creation and expression of difference among individuals and groups."

"A lively survey covering the Orient, the Americas, and the classical world. Sport in the ancient world was fiercely competitive and included a wider range of physical contests than we might suspect. Crowther casts his net over the entire ancient world to reveal the variety of sport in earlier times, from 3000 BCE to the Middle Ages."

"Covers a wide range of Greek and Roman sporting activities. Arranged in an easy-to-use dictionary format, this volume includes more than 700 entries discussing ancient athletes, festivals, important sites, equipment and concepts."

"Potter's lively narrative shows how sport, to the ancients, was a potent social force. He charts the origins of competitive athletics in Greece and the emergence of the Olympics as a preeminent cultural event. He focuses on the experiences of spectators and athletes, especially in violent sports such as boxing and wrestling, and describes the physiology of conditioning, training techniques, and sport's role in education. The rise of the Roman Empire transformed the sporting world by popularizing new entertainments, particularly gladiatorial combat, a specialized form of chariot racing, and beast hunts. The Roman government promoted and organized sport as a central feature of the Empire, making it a sort of common cultural currency to the diverse inhabitants of its vast territory."