The Victor's Crown: A History of Ancient Sport from Homer to Byzantium 0199842752, 9780199842759, 0199842736, 9780199842735

Table of contents :
Content: Ashes, linen and the origins of sport. Introduction --
Homer and the Bronze Age --
Homer and sport --
Olympia. From myth to history --
Olympia in 480 BC --
The Olympic games of 476 BC --
The festival approaches --
Winning: The equestrian events
The pentathlon and the foot races
Nudity
Pain and Suffering --
Remembering victory: The athlete as hero --
The emergence of the Panhellenic Cycle --
The world of the gymnasium. Sport and civic virtue --
Beroia --
Getting in shape and turning pro --
Roman games. Greece meets Rome --
Kings and games --
Rome and Italy --
Actors and gladiators --
Caesar, Antony, Augustus and the games --
Imperial games. Watching --
The fan's experience --
Expectations --
Crowd noise --
Dreaming of sport --
Images of sport --
Women's sports --
Gladiators: Life as a gladiator
Training and ranking
Dying
Choosing to be a gladiator --
Charioteers --
Athletes: Athletic guilds
Cheating --
Running the show: Administration
Athletics.