CLAS 223 - Sports and Spectacles in Ancient Greece and Rome

The Olympic Games, gladiators, chariot racing: the sports and spectacles of ancient Greece and Rome still loom large in the modern imagination. The summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic games, for example, are staged at cities across the globe every four years, and NFL football players are routinely called “modern-day gladiators” and compete in annual Super Bowls designated by Roman Numerals. This course provides an interdisciplinary examination of the history and nature of sports and spectacles in the GrecoRoman World, from the legendary foundation of the Olympic Games in 776 BCE to the violent spectacles of the Roman Empire, and it compares the role of sports in Classical Antiquity to the position they now occupy in contemporary society, with special focus on the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896 and the rise of televised, spectator sports in the 20th century.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts Practices: Artistic Practice and Interpretation
Core Component: None

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