GRST 282 - Greek and Roman Sports

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

The ancient Greeks and Romans loved sports, from races at the Olympics to bloody gladiatorial combat in the Colosseum. How and why did athletics become so important in ancient society, and what can they also tell us about attitudes to sex, food, religion, or war? We consider the history of athletic contests from the Homeric epics until the end of the Roman Empire, including professionals and amateurs, athletes and fans, women’s sports, children’s games, and how our own experience of physical competition is or is not the same. Britta Ager.

Two 75-minute periods.