athletics, Greek
athletics, Greek
- Reyes Bertolín Cebrián
Summary
Athletics is often used as a synonym for sport. It involves physical activity, mostly organized through training and competition. Athletics was an integral part of Greek cultural identity throughout all periods of Greek history. In the realm of material culture, sources for the study of sport range from the great sanctuaries at Olympia or Delphi to sculpture, ceramics, votive offerings, and even coins. Written sources of all genres describe the practice of athletics or use sport metaphors and anecdotes to embellish the narrative or discuss issues. There are mentions of athletics in epic poetry, lyric, tragedy, comedy, oratory, philosophy, history, and technical writings. Inscriptions offer abundant information as well. From the great variety of sources available, it is obvious that athletics was more than a mere pastime for the Greeks. Apart from competition, the Greeks saw value in athletics as a way to socialize and educate the young. Through the practice of athletics, the Greeks projected the image of strong, self-controlled, and independent individuals.
Subjects
- Greek Material Culture
Updated in this version
Article and bibliography expanded to reflect current scholarship. Primary texts and digital materials added.