Synopses & Reviews
Aimed at readers of all levels--from student to classics buff to serious scholars--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. Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece offers a wide range of topics geared to students' interests, new translations into readable English that facilitate their introduction to the subject, and a rich assortment of illustrations. The questions following each translation help students understand the passages, while the presentation of contradictory evidence challenges them to evaluate different points of view, both in the study of ancient culture and in their own daily lives. Successfully tested in college classrooms for a ten years, this book provides an excellent springboard for the study of ancient Greek history, classical literature, or sports history.
Review
"Handsomely produced, cleverly organized, well selected. The text will help students appreciate the ancient sources--both literary and visual--on ancient athletics."--W. R. Connor, Princeton University
"Goes beyond a judicious compilation of sources on ancient athletics. It provides...a delicious compendium of the author's own vivid translations, insightful comments, provocative discussion questions, and photos....Excellent."--Thomas F. Scanlon, University of California at Riverside
"Anything Waldo Sweet does is good. The book is the result of long experience teaching...on Ancient Sport. The questions attached to the sources are good and useful, and so are the sources themselves, which are well chosen....The addition of passages illustrating `Recreation' is novel and good."--A. E. Raubitschek, Stanford University
"An excellent reference for the students of sports history who desire a summary of original sources pertaining to Greek sport."--William G. Vandenburgh, California State Univerity, Hayward
"An excellent selection of sources for a topic now enjoying a growing reception in university curricula."--Robert K. Sherk, State University of New York, Buffalo
Table of Contents
Preface
Foreword by Erich Segal
Introduction to Greek Athletics
Athletics in Homer
Running Events
Pentathlon
Diskos
Jump
Javelin
Scoring the Pentathlon
Combat Sports
Wrestling
Boxing
Pankration
Horse Racing
Ball Playing
Weight Lifting
Miscellaneous Games and Activities
Palestra and Training
Attitudes toward Athletics
Nudity in Greek Athletics
Women in Greek Athletics
Individual Athletes
Walking and Mountaineering
Swimming and Boating
Hunting and Fishing
Music
Dance
Theater
Dining
Pindar
Philostratos
Pausanias
Lucian
Greek Anthology
· Footnotes
· Bibliography
· Index of Testimonia
· List of Illustrations
· General Index and Glossary