CLA 276 - Topics: Sport and Spectacle in Ancient Greece and Rome (1)

The course explores the role of athletics and competitive entertainment in ancient Greece and Rome and their revival in the modern Olympics. Topics include the origin of play and sport in ancient cultures; the role of athletics in ritual, education, and society; panhellenic games, including the Olympic Games; training and professionalism; rewards for success; women in ancient athletics; violence and the role of spectators at athletic events. Interdisciplinary in scope, this course will draw on documentary sources, including inscriptions, vase-painting, archaeology, mythology from the ancient world and newspaper reports, film clips, first-person accounts and interviews from the modern world.
(Humanities)