Title The athlete in the ancient Greek world / Reyes Bertolín Cebrián

Published Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, [2020] ©2020

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Description 1 online resource (xi, 234 pages) : illustrations Series Oklahoma series in classical culture ; [volume 61] Oklahoma series in classical culture ; v. 61. Contents The athlete as young man -- High-performance training -- The role of genetics -- Nature versus training -- Psychological characteristics of athletes -- Sport and education -- Sport and war -- Initiation aspects of historical sport practices -- The rise of recreational sport -- Final words Summary "In the world of sports, the most important component is the athlete. After all, without athletes there would be no sports. In ancient Greece, athletes were public figures, idolized and envied. This fascinating book draws on a broad range of ancient sources to explore the development of athletes in Greece from the archaic period to the Roman Empire. Whereas many previous books have focused on the origins of the Greek games themselves, or the events or locations where the games took place, this volume places a unique emphasis on the athletes themselves--and the fostering of their athleticism. Moving beyond stereotypes of larger-than-life heroes, Reyes Bertolín Cebrián examines the experiences of ordinary athletes, who practiced sports for educational, recreational, or professional purposes. According to Bertolín Cebrián, the majority of athletes in ancient times were young men and mostly single. Similar to today, most athletes practiced sport as part of their schooling. Yet during the fifth century B.C., a major shift in ancient Greek education took place, when the curriculum for training future leaders became more academic in orientation. As a result, argues Bertolín Cebrián, the practice of sport in the Hellenistic period lost its appeal to the intellectual elite, even as it remained popular with large sectors of the population. Thus, a gap emerged between the "higher" and "lower" cultures of sport. In looking at the implications of this development for athletes, whether high-performing or recreational, this erudite volume traverses such wide-ranging fields as history, literature, medicine, and sports psychology to recreate--in compelling detail--the life and lifestyle of the ancient Greek athlete."-- Provided by publisher Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Print version record Subject Athletics -- Greece -- History -- To 1500 Athletes -- Greece -- History -- To 1500 Physical education and training -- Greece -- History -- To 1500 Education, Greek. Sports -- Greece -- History -- To 1500 Physical education and training Athletes Athletics Education, Greek Sports SUBJECT Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85057074 Subject Greece Genre/Form History Form Electronic book ISBN 9780806167589 0806167580

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