Combining ancient sports research and sensory studies, this volume unveils new insights into the societal and cultural history of Greek athletics. From the touch and smell of ancient substances and the taste of the athletic diet, to the sight of muscular bodies and the endurance of extreme temperatures, this book offers a unique glimpse into the vivid sensory world of Greek athletics. By examining these sensory experiences, readers will gain profound insights into the connections forged between athletes and their natural surroundings, the influence of imperial power and the significance of athletics within Greek poleis and ancient literature. This collection of thought-provoking chapters explores topics such as the importance of the relationship between Roman emperors and Greek athletics; the aesthetics of the famous ''Boxer at Rest'' statue and its depiction of pain ( ponos ); and the transformative power of the sensory experience as featured in classical literature. Emperor Julian (361-363 CE) is one such example of this, whose understanding of the senses is grounded in an Iamblichean theory of moral psychology and whose writing touches on the multi-sensory experience of these spectacles. This book analyses this perspective, asking to what extent these sense-perceptual experiences made athletic contests a beneficial civic institution.

Autorentext
Matthew P. Evans is a PhD candidate at the University of Warwick, UK.

Klappentext

An exploration of ancient Greek athletics through the lens of the senses, examining for the first time the performance, social significance and representation in literature.

Inhalt

Introduction: The Sense(s) of Athletics (Matthew Evans, University of Warwick, UK)

1. The Aesthetic Perfection of 'The Boxer at Rest': Athletic Ethos and Sensual Pathos (Marina Prusac-Lindhagen, University of Oslo, Norway)
2. 'Obtained by Sweat and Labour his Glorious Reputation': Ponos and the Educational Value of Pain in the Greek Gymnasium (Georgios Mouratidis, British School at Athens, Greece)
3. Dying for Victory: Athletes, Death and Commemoration (Hara Thliveri, University of the Peloponnese, Greece)
4. Undefeated by Heat: Greek Athletes and Thermal Experience (Matthew Evans, University of Warwick, UK)
5. "Grovelling Together in the Mud, Wallowing like Swine": The Aesthetics and Pragmatics of Oil and Dust in Ancient Wrestling and Pankration (Armin Unfricht, University of Graz, Austria)
6. The Taste of Victory: The Athletic Diet in Ancient Greece (Emmanuele Aprilakis, Rutgers University, USA)
7. Virtuous Voyeurism: Emperor Julian on Gymnastic Competitions (Jamie Marvin, University of California San Diego, USA)
8. "Crowned by his (Imperial) Hands": Agonistic Mobility and Emperor's Accessibility for Athletes in the Roman Period (Aitor Blanco Pérez, University of Navarra, Spain)

9. The Dark Side of the Games: Nocturnal Rites in the Greek Agones during Imperial Times *(Rocío Gordillo Hervás, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain)

   • Afterword (Jo Day, University College Dublin, Ireland)

   Notes
   Bibliography
   Index