CLAS 226 From Olympians to Gladiators: Sport and Contest in the Ancient World
This course will explore various athletic activities of the ancient Greeks and Romans from Homer to late antiquity and consider the questions "What were they like? What were they for?" Through ancient sources in translation, students will evaluate the role played by sports in maintaining health, serving the state, and, of course, honoring gods and entertaining crowds through contests. In addition to sampling ancient events, festivals, and personalities, students will also debate issues as contentious today as they were in antiquity: the place of athletics in education, the status of athletes in society, and the impact of professionalization.