The Oxford Handbook Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World

Sport and spectacle in the ancient world has become a vital area of broad new exploration over the last few decades. This Handbook brings together the latest research on Greek and Roman manifestations of these pastimes to explore current approaches and open exciting new avenues of inquiry. It discusses historical perspectives, contest forms, contest-related texts, civic and social aspects, and use and meaning of the individual body. Greek and Roman topics are interwoven to simulate contest-like tensions and complementarities, juxtaposing, for example, violence in Greek athletics and Roman gladiatorial events, Greek and Roman chariot events, architectural frameworks for contests and games in the two cultures, and contrasting views of religion, bodily regimens, and judicial classification related to both cultures. It examines the social contexts of games, namely the evolution of sport and spectacle across cultural and political boundaries, and how games are adapted to multiple contexts and multiple purposes, reinforcing social hierarchies, performing shared values, and playing out deep cultural tensions. The volume also considers other directing forces in the ancient Mediterranean, such as Bronze Age Egypt and the Near East, Etruria, and early Christianity. It addresses important themes common to both antiquity and modern society, such as issues of class, gender, and health, as well as the popular culture of the modern Olympics and gladiators in cinema.
With innovative perspectives from authoratative scholars on a wide range of topics, this Handbook will appeal to both students and researchers interested in ancient history, literature, sports, and games.

Alison Futrell is Associate Professor and Head of the History Department at the University of Arizona. Her research interests focus on the discourse, performance, and imagery of power in imperial Rome, with special interest in spectacle and gender.
Thomas F. Scanlon is Professor Emeritus of Classics at University of California, Riverside. His research interests focus mainly on Ancient Greek Sport and Greek and Roman historical writing, especially Thucydides and Sallust. His approach to Greek sport is primarily one of investigating social and cultural contexts, including issues of gender, sexuality, religion, and literary sources.

- PART I. Introduction - 1: Thomas F. Scanlon: Overview and Approaches - 2: Paul Christesen: Theories of Greek and Roman Sport - PART II. Development in Historical Perspective - Section 1- Pre-Greek Mediterranean - 3: Wolfgang Decker: Sport in Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East - 4: John G. Younger: Sport and Spectacle in the Greek Bronze Age - Section 2- Early Competitions and Events - 5: Ulrich Sinn: Origins of the Olympics to the Sixth Century BCE - 6: Jean-Paul Thuillier: Etruscan Events - Section 3- Panhellenic Games and the Spread of the Tradition - 7: Manuela Mari and Paola Stirpe: The Greek Crown Games - 8: Julia L. Shear: The Panathenaia and Local Festivals - 9: Panos Valavanis: Patterns of Politics in Ancient Greek Athletics - 10: Zahra Newby: Greek Festivals in the Hellenistic Era - Section 4- Roman Games and Spectacles - 11: Alison Futrell: Games in the Republic - 12: Richard Beacham: Theatre of Cruelty: Games of the Flavian Emperors - 13: Zahra Newby: Greek Festivals in the Roman Era - 14: David Potter: Roman Games and Spectacle: Christian Identity and the Arena - 15: Paul Milliman: The Decline and Fall of Spectacle - PART III. Forms of Contests and Display - 16: David Gilman Romano: Greek Footraces and Field Events - 17: Michael B. Poliakoff: Greek Combat Sport and the Borders of Athletics, Violence, and Civilization - 18: Michael Carter: Gladiators - 19: Nigel Nicholson: Greek Hippic Contests - 20: Donald G. Kyle: Animal Events - 21: Rabun Taylor: Naval Events and Aquacades - PART IV. Texts, Contexts, Contests - 22: Gregory Nagy: Athletic Contests in Contexts of Epic and Other Related Archaic Texts - 23: Leslie Kurke: Epinikion, Kudos, and Criticism - 24: Kathryn Chew: Thematic Texts: Ovid, Martial, Tertullian - 25: Anne Hrychuk Kontokosta: Contests in Context: Gladiatorial Inscriptions and Graffiti - 26: Alexander Hollmann: Curse Tablets - 27: Nathan T. Elkins: Coins - PART V. Civic Contexts - Section 1- Some Local Contests and Festivals - 28: Paul Cartledge: Sparta's Contributions to Greek Sport - 29: Guy Chamberland: Imperial Spectacle in the Roman Provinces - Section 2- Architecture of Games and Competitions - 30: David Gilman Romano: Greek Sanctuaries and Stadia - 31: Garrett G. Fagan: Gymnasium and Bath - 32: Hazel Dodge: The Colosseum - 33: P. J. Holliday: Circuses and Hippodromes - Section 3- Representations and Material Culture - 34: Shelby Brown: Combat Sports and Gladiatorial Combat in Greek and Roman Private Art - 35: Wendy J. Raschke: Athletic Images and the Monumentalization of Victory - Section 4- Urban Contexts of Local Festivals - 36: Onno van Nijf: Local Festivals - 37: Luciana Jacobelli: Pompeii and Games - 38: Nigel Kennell: Gymnasium and Polis - Section 5- Games and Community - 39: Lucia D'Amore: Economic Aspects of Athletic Competition in the Archaic and Classical Age - 40: Ingomar Weiler: 'Professional' Organizations in the Hellenistic World - 41: Steven L. Tuck: Ludi and Factiones as Organizations of Performers - 42: Michael MacKinnon: Animal Supply - 43: Valerie M. Hope: Gladiators as a Class - 44: Matthew J. P. Dillon: Cult and Competition - 45: Zinon Papakonstantinou: Law, Litigation, and Sport in Ancient Greece - 46: Geoffrey Sumi: Spectatorship, Control, and Collective Groups - PART VI. Body and Individual - Section 1- Health and Training - 47: Lesley Dean-Jones: Too Much of a Good Thing: The Health of Olympic Athletes in Ancient Greece - 48: David M. Pritchard: Athletic Participation, Training, and Adolescent Education - Section 2- Gender and Sexuality - 49: Thomas F. Scanlon: Gender and Sexuality in Greek Sport - 50: Alison Futrell: Sex in the Arena