The Victor's Crown: How the Birth of the Olympics and the Rise of The Roman Games Changed Sport For Ever

The Victor's Crown: How the Birth of the Olympics and the Rise of The Roman Games Changed Sport For Ever
ISBN-10
1849162522
ISBN-13
9781849162524
Series
The Victor's Crown
Category
Sports & Recreation
Pages
352
Language
English
Published
2012-06-07
Publisher
Quercus
Author
David Potter

Description

Incorporating the latest research, The Victor's Crown offers an analysis of how competitive sport emerged in Greece during the eighth century BC, and then how the great festival cycle of Classical Greece came into being during the sixth century BC. Special attention is paid to violent sports of boxing, wrestling and pancration. We meet the great athletes of the past and discover what it was that made them so great. It shows how the rise of the Roman Empire transformed the sporting world by popularizing new forms of entertainment (chiefly chariot racing, gladiatorial combat and beast hunts). David Potter vividly brings to life the experiences of being fan and competitor, and extrapolates skilfully to the modern day, creating not just a history of ancient sport, but also an examination of the social and cultural roles sport has played throughout history.

Other editions

Similar books