The End of Greek Athletics in Late Antiquity (Greek Culture in the Roman World)

Around Ad 250 Athletics Was A Significant Part Of Civic Life From Southern Gaul And Northern Africa To Syria And Egypt. Within This Broad Area, Exercising In The Gymnasium Was A Beloved Pastime Among Those Members Of Ancient Society Who Could Afford To Be (occasionally) At Leisure. Hundreds Of Agones, Contests For Athletes And/or Performing Artists, Were Organized By Almost As Many Cities. Though Some Of These Competitions Could Look Back On Centuries-old Traditions, Most Had Been Founded Only A Century Or Even A Few Decades Before, As Part Of A Phenomenon Described By Louis Robert As The Agonistic Explosion Of The Imperial Age-- This Book Presents The First Comprehensive Study Of How And Why Athletic Contests, A Characteristic Aspect Of Greek Culture For Over A Millennium, Disappeared In Late Antiquity. In Contrast To Previous Discussions, Which Focus On The Ancient Olympics, The End Of The Most Famous Games Is Analysed Here In The Context Of The Collapse Of The Entire International Agonistic Circuit, Which Encompassed Several Hundred Contests. The First Part Of The Book Describes This Collapse By Means Of A Detailed Analysis Of The Fourth- And Fifth-century History Of The Athletic Games In Each Region Of The Mediterranean: Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Gaul And Northern Africa. The Second Half Continues By Explaining These Developments, Challenging Traditional Theories (especially The Ban By The Christian Emperor Theodosius I) And Discussing In Detail Both The Late Antique Socio-economic Context And The Late Antique Perceptions Of Athletics.-- Introduction -- Part I. An Overview Of Athletics In Late Antiquity. 1. Greece ; 2. Asia Minor ; 3. Syria ; 4. Egypt ; 5. Italy ; 6. Gaul ; 7. North Africa ; Conclusions To Part I -- Part Ii. Agones In A Changing World. 8. A Religious Ban? ; 9. An Imperial Ban? ; 10. The Athletic Professionals ; 11. Athletics As Elite Activity ; 12. The Practical Organization Of Agones ; 13. The Agon As Spectacle ; Conclusions To Part Ii. Sofie Remijsen. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 349-377) And Indexes. This book presents the first comprehensive study of how and why athletic contests, a characteristic aspect of Greek culture for over a millennium, disappeared in late antiquity. In contrast to previous discussions, which focus on the ancient Olympics, the end of the most famous games is analyzed here in the context of the collapse of the entire international agonistic circuit, which encompassed several hundred contests. The first part of the book describes this collapse by means of a detailed analysis of the fourth- and fifth-century history of the athletic games in each region of the Mediterranean: Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Gaul and northern Africa. The second half continues by explaining these developments, challenging traditional theories (especially the ban by the Christian emperor Theodosius I) and discussing in detail both the late antique socio-economic context and the late antique perceptions of athletics. Cover 1 Half-title page 3 Series page 4 Title page 7 Copyright page 8 Epigraph 9 Contents 11 Figures 13 Maps 14 Acknowledgements 15 Abbreviations 17 Introduction 21 Part I An overview of athletics in late antiquity 47 Chapter 1 Greece 53 Chapter 2 Asia Minor 90 Chapter 3 Syria 109 Chapter 4 Egypt 131 Chapter 5 Italy 149 Chapter 6 Gaul 171 Chapter 7 North Africa 176 Conclusions to Part I 184 Part II Agones in a changing world 193 Chapter 8 A religious ban? 201 Chapter 9 An imperial ban? 218 Chapter 10 The athletic professionals 240 Chapter 11 Athletics as an elite activity 272 Chapter 12 The practical organization of agones 309 Chapter 13 The agon as spectacle 341 Conclusions to Part II 363 Bibliography 369 Select index of late-antique sources 398 General index 402