Sport in Ancient Times (Praeger Series on the Ancient World)

209 Pages·2007·4.69 MB·English

by  Nigel B. Crowther

Sport in Ancient Times
Nigel B. Crowther
PRAEGER
Sport in Ancient Times
Recent Titles in the
Praeger Series on the Ancient World
Daughters of Gaia: Women in the Ancient Mediterranean World
Bella Vivante
SPORT IN ANCIENT
TIMES
Nigel B. Crowther

Praeger Series on the Ancient World
Bella Vivante, Series Editor
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Crowther, Nigel B.
Sport in ancient times / Nigel B. Crowther.
p. cm. — (Praeger series on the ancient world, ISSN 1932–1406)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-10: 0–275–98739–6 (alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978–0–275–98739–8 (alk. paper) 1. Sports—History. I. Title.
GV571.C76 2007
796.'0901—dc22 2006032995
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2007 by Nigel B. Crowther
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006032995
ISBN-10: 0–275–98739–6
ISBN-13: 978–0–275–98739–8
ISSN: 1932–1406
First published in 2007
Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.praeger.com
Printed in the United States of America

The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
RMZ
coniugi amatissimae

Contents
Figures ix
Preface xi
Timelines for Ancient Civilizations xv
Introduction xxi
1. The Far East: China, Japan, and Korea 1
2. The Middle East (Excluding Egypt) 15
3. Egypt at the Time of the Pharaohs 25
4. Minoan Civilization 34
5. Mycenae and Homer 40
6. The Ancient Olympic Games 45
7. Ancient Greek Athletics 57
8. The Etruscans in Ancient Italy 78
9. Roman Games and Greek Athletics 83
10. Roman Recreations and Physical Fitness 87
11. Recreational Areas in Rome: The Baths and
Campus Martius 95
12. Roman Gladiators 103
13. Roman Chariot Racing 124
14. The Byzantine Empire 134
15. Three Sporting Heroes of the Ancient World 140
16. Women and Sport: Atalanta and the “Gladiator Girl” 146
viii Contents
17. Greco-Roman Ball Games and Team Sports 154
18. Mesoamerican Ball Games 160
Further Readings 169
Index 177
Figures
1.1 Chinese swimming. Wall painting from Xinjiang province,
about 500 C .E. Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz. 2
1.2 Terra-cotta statuette of a “polo” player from the Tang dynasty.
Musée Cernuschi, Paris. 5
1.3 Terra-cotta statuette of a female “polo” player from the eighth
century C .E . Musée des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, Paris. 8
2.1 Early terra-cotta fragment containing part of the text of the
Epic of Gilgamesh. Israel Museum (IDAM), Jerusalem, Israel. 16
2.2 Wrestlers take hold of each other’s belts. Copper statuette
with offering stand above. Iraq Museum, Baghdad. 17
3.1 Tutankhamon hunting in the desert with chariot and bow.
Detail from the lid of a chest. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. 28
3.2 Part of a sequence of wrestling scenes from Beni Hasan
(2000 B.C.E .). Beni Hasan, Egypt. 30
3.3 Gaming board of Senet, with pieces, from Saqqara. Egyptian
Museum, Cairo. 32
4.1 Bull leaping. Minoan fresco, 1500 B .C.E . Archaeological
Museum, Heraklion, Crete. 35
4.2 The “Boxer Vase” from Hagia Triada, Crete. 37
4.3 The “Boy Boxer” fresco from Thera. National Archaeological
Museum, Athens. 38
5.1 Portrait bust of Homer. Musei Capitolini, Rome. 41
6.1 Later stadium at Olympia looking toward the Altis . 51
7.1 Relief from the base of a kouros. National Archaeological
Museum, Athens. 61
7.2 A vase painting by Epicterus (fi fth century B .C.E .). Louvre, Paris. 64
7.3 Roman copy of Myron’s Discobolus. Museo Nazionale Romano
(Terme di Diocleziano), Rome. 65
7.4 “Seated Boxer.” Museo Nazionale Romano (Terme di
Diocleziano), Rome. 69
7.5 Four-horse chariot race with horses abreast. Black-fi gured
amphora with white glaze (sixth century B .C.E .). Louvre, Paris. 72