AP/HIST 3125 3.00
Sport And Society In Ancient Greece
Sport occupied an important place in the highly competitive society of ancient Greece. This course explores the history of Greek sport from its first appearance in the poems of Homer down into the Roman period, but with a concentration on the Archaic and Classical periods and on the Panhellenic games. Throughout the course sport is studied not as an autonomous activity, but as a part of Greek society, only comprehensible in terms of the values and practices of that society. Topics include: theories of sport; the competitive character of Greek society; the development of the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and of the Olympic Games; the Olympic Games and Festival; the other Panhellenic games; sport and politics; sport and religious ritual; combat sports and military training; sport and social status; amateurs and professionals; the gymnasium and the palaistra; representations of sport in art and literature. The course involves the critical study of a wide range of source material-literary, documentary, iconographic and archaeological.