Arete

by Miller, Stephen G.; Christesen, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780520274334
• ISBN10: 0520274334
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-09-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

From the informal games of Homer's time to the highly organized contests of the Roman world, Miller has compileda 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.

Author Biography

Stephen G. Miller is Professor of Classical Archaeology Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. Paul Christesen is Associate Professor of Classics at Dartmouth College.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	p. vii
Foreword	p. ix
Introduction	p. xv
The Earliest Days of Greek Athletics: 1-2	p. 1
Nudity and Equipment: 3-19	p. 16
The Events at a Competition	p. 23
Running: 20-31	p. 23
Wrestling: 32-36	p. 27
Boxing: 37-43	p. 32
Pankration: 44-46	p. 37
Pentathlon: 47-65	p. 39
Equestrian: 66-72	p. 50
Herald and Trumpeter: 73-74	p. 57
Music: 75-76	p. 58
Poetry and Prose Composition: 77-78	p. 59
Acting: 79	p. 61
Painting: 80	p. 61
Organization of a Panhellenic Festival	p. 63
Preparations at the Site: 81-82	p. 63
Preparations of the Athletes: 83-86	p. 65
The Truce: 87-89	p. 67
Preliminaries: Registration and Certification: 90-94	p. 69
Schedule, Heats, and Pairings: 95-99	p. 70
Prohibitions and Penalties: 100-104	p. 73
Officials: 105-109	p. 75
Rewards for Victory: 110-118	p. 76
Local Festivals	p. 81
The Panathenaic Games of Athens: 119-123	p. 81
The Eleutheria of Larissa in Thessaly: 124-126	p. 86
The Bomonikai of Sparta: 127	p. 88
The Role of the Games in Society: 128-148	p. 89
Women in Athletics: 149-162	p. 105
Athletes and heroes: 163-175	p. 111
Ball Playing: 176-178	p. 120
Gymnasion, Athletics, and Education: 179-189	p. 126
The Spread of Greek Athletics in the Hellenistic Period: 190-199	p. 153
Greek Athletics in the Roman Period: 200-204	p. 160
Amateurism and Professionalism: 205-223	p. 165
Nationalism and Internationalism: 224-231	p. 181
Relations between the Panhellenic Sanctuaries: 232-236	p. 184
Relations between City-States and the Panhellenic Sanctuaries: 237-242	p. 186
Relations between City-States at the Panhellenic Sanctuaries: 243-247	p. 190
Beauty and Reality: 248-256	p. 192
Appendix: The Olympian and Pythian Programs	p. 201
Select Bibliography	p. 203
Index and Glossary	p. 209
Sources for the Chapter-Opening Sketches	p. 235
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