The pentathlon, comprising competition in the discus, javelin, long jump, sprint, and wrestling, was hailed as the ultimate test of athletic versatility and remained a staple of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, Crown Games and Pan-Hellenic festivals for 1,200 years. Still, there is little scholarly consensus over many major aspects of the event. This detailed exploration of the ancient pentathlon discusses the nature of the spectacle, the method of determining a victor, the five sub-events and the order in which they occurred. It also chronicles the history of the event and its champions, the recognition of ancient pentathletes, and the pentathlon’s 18-year modern Olympic history and its influence on its contemporary counterpart, the decathlon. A record book and glossary complete this fresh look at one of the ancient world’s most renowned sporting competitions.

Concise, convincing book emphasizes relationship between Greek and Roman athletics and religion, art, and education. Colorful descriptions of the pentathlon, foot-race, wrestling, boxing, ball playing, and more. 137 black-and-white illustrations.

Sport in the Ancient World from A to Z covers an extraordinarily wide range of Greek and Roman sporting activities. Arranged in an easy-to-use dictionary format, this volume includes more than 700 entries discussing ancient athletes, festivals, important sites, equipment and concepts. The approach throughout is comprehensive yet succinct, with key topics, such as athletic festivals, chariot racing, prizes and the role of women receiving more detailed discussion. Each entry concludes with pointers to the most important sources of information, both ancient and modern. The places mentioned in the text are picked out on a useful map, and a timeline of significant developments and events is also included. Reliable, enjoyable, and up-to-date, this handy work of reference will suit readers from student level upwards.

The second edition of Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World updates Donald G. Kyle’s award-winning introduction to this topic, covering the Ancient Near East up to the late Roman Empire. • Challenges traditional scholarship on sport and spectacle in the Ancient World and debunks claims that there were no sports before the ancient Greeks • Explores the cultural exchange of Greek sport and Roman spectacle and how each culture responded to the other’s entertainment • Features a new chapter on sport and spectacle during the Late Roman Empire, including Christian opposition to pagan games and the Roman response • Covers topics including violence, professionalism in sport, class, gender and eroticism, and the relationship of spectacle to political structures

This collection is designed to encourage students to examine issues pertaining to a broad range of themes through the analysis of relevant ancient literary and non-literary texts. Covering a wide variety of social and cultural concerns?-ranging from marriage, family, war, and religion, to political culture, slavery, and entertainment?-the texts are arranged thematically within a general chronological framework to provide a broad overview of life in the Ancient World. --Publisher's description.

From the informal games of Homer's time to the highly organized contests of the Roman world, Miller has compiled a trove of ancient sources: Plutarch on boxing, Aristotle on the pentathlon, Philostratos on the buying and selling of victories, Vitruvius on literary competitions, and Xenophon on female body building. Arete offers readers an absorbing lesson in the culture of Greek athletics from the greatest of teachers, the ancients themselves, and demonstrates that the concepts of virtue, skill, pride, valor, and nobility embedded in the word arete are only part of the story from antiquity. This bestselling volume on the culture of Greek athletics is updated with a new preface by leading scholar Paul Christesen that discusses the book's continued importance for students of ancient athletics.

Presents sixty-nine articles devoted to coverage of social and cultural considerations in the ancient world from prehistory through the fall of Rome in 476 C.E.

Covers world cultures from prehistory through the year 700 C.E., including essays on persons, cultures, wars, battles, documents or works, traditions or cultural phenomena, structures or artifacts, places or sites, terms, and groups or civilizations.

This lively text gives full coverage and coherent treatment of the main topics in the history of the Ancient World.

How did the Romans go from a small tribe living on the banks of the Tiber to an imperial power that at its height encompassed some 64 million people across three continents? And how can we explain the decline and eventual collapse of this vast empire? This authoritative, highly readable textbook offers a complete survey of the history of Rome from its origins, through the Republic and Empire, to the period of its decline and fall, ending with the emergence of Mohammed in the 6th century.Written by a historian with an international reputation, the book incorporates the most recent scholarship and archaeological evidence. It describes the key events in Roman history, and offers fascinating insights into Roman life and culture as they changed and developed over the centuries.

Explores ordinary life through time and across the globe.

The seven wonders of the ancient world, the twelve labors of Hercules, the thirty idylls of Theocritus--much of ancient history has been catalogued numerically. This unique reference book includes significant events, natural features, people, myths, literary works (e.g., the twelve books of Vergil's Aeneid), and other details most often noted by numerical association.