GREEK & ROMAN ATHLETICS (01:190:309)

 

M TH PERIOD 3 (11.30-12.50), Spring 2003

 

T. Corey Brennan (Department of Classics)

 

Ruth Adams Building 005; tel. 732.932.9493; email = tcbr@rci.rutgers.edu

Office hours = Monday and Thursday, 3.30-4.30 + by appointment

 

Required texts (all in RU Bookstore):

 

1.  Mahoney, Anne.  Roman Sport and Spectacles:  A Sourcebook (2001) [=Mahoney]

2.  Miller, S.G.  Arete.  Greek Sports from Ancient Sources.  Second edition

(1991) [=Miller]

3.  Pindar's Victory Songs (trans. F.J. Nisetich) (1980) [=Nisetich].

For Pindar, O = Olympian, P = Pythian, N = Nemean, I = Isthmian.  NB read

individual poems with Nisetich introductions, glossaries, and notes]

4.  Potter, D.S. and Mattingly, D.J. (eds.)  Life, Death, and Entertainment

in the Roman Empire (1999) [=Potter & Mattingly]

 

Useful websites for this class:

 

http://classics.rutgers.edu/Cla309_2003.htm [course website]

 

www.perseus.tufts.edu [Perseus Project].

--Note especially www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/ [general Olympics]

--http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.00

64&query=toc&layout=&loc=2.5 [Bacchylides index]

 

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html [Internet Ancient History

Sourcebook]

--Note especially

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-index.html [Suetonius

texts]

 

http://classics.mit.edu/ [Internet Classics Archive] [441 Classical texts]

 

www.sms.org/mdl-indx/internet.htm [internet resources for Classics in

general]

 

socrates.berkeley.edu/~cls180/index.html [S.G. Miller site]

 

Requirements: two papers (each 5-7 pages) + midterm and final, each for 25%

of total grade.

 

Schedule of lectures and readings:

 

1.

23 JANUARY THURSDAY

Introduction and organization

NO READING

2.

27 JANUARY MONDAY

The earliest days of Greek athletics

Miller pp. 1-16

3.

30 JANUARY THURSDAY

The athletic body

Miller pp. 17-20

Potter & Mattingly pp. 67-84 (see also pp. 85-109)

4.

3 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Introduction to Bacchylides and Pindar I

Nisetich pp. 1-20

Miller pp. 63-96

5.

6 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Running

Miller pp. 21-25

Pindar O14, P10, P11, N8 (footraces)

Pindar P9 (full armor race)

Cf. Bacchylides 6, 7, 10

6.

10 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Introduction to Bacchylides and Pindar II

Nisetich pp. 21-74

7.

13 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Wrestling, Boxing

Miller pp. 25-36

Pindar O8, 09, P8, N4, N10 (wrestling)

Cf. Bacchylides 11, 12 (wrestling)

Pindar O7, O10, O11 (boxing)

Cf. Bacchylides 1, 2 (boxing)

8.

17 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Pancration, Pentathlon

Miller pp. 36-50

Pindar N2, N3, N5, N6, I4, I5, I6, I7, I8 (pancration)

Cf. Bacchylides 13 (pancration)

Pindar O13, N7 (pentathlon)

Cf. Bacchylides 9 (pentathlon)

9.

20 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Equestrian I

Miller pp. 50-57

Pindar O2, O3, O4, P1, P2, P4, P5, P6, P7 (chariot racing)

Potter & Mattingly pp. 285-287

10.

24 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Equestrian II

Pindar N1, N9, I1, I2, I3 (chariots continued)

Cf. Bacchylides 3, 4, 14 (chariots)

Pindar O1, P3 (single horse)

Cf. Bacchylides 5 (single horse)

Pindar O5, O6 (mule cart)

11.

27 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Contests for music, literary composition, acting, painting, medicine, beauty

Miller pp. 58-62

Pindar P12 (flute playing)

Pindar N11 (lack of Panhellenic victory!)

12.

3 MARCH MONDAY

Women in athletics; athletes and heroes

Miller pp. 99-113

Mahoney pp. 65-70

13.

6 MARCH THURSDAY

Ball playing

Miller pp. 115-120

Note www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxk116/romeball.html [D.R. Kowalski site]

14.

10 MARCH MONDAY

PAPER I DUE (Pindar or Bacchylides topic)

NO READING

15.

13 MARCH THURSDAY

The gymnasion, athletics, and education

Miller pp. 121-150

16.

24 MARCH MONDAY

The spread of Greek athletics in the Hellenistic and Roman periods

Miller pp. 151-164

Mahoney pp. 40-44

17.

27 MARCH THURSDAY

Amateurism and professionalism, nationalism and internationalism; ideals and

realities

Miller pp. 165-201

18.

31 MARCH MONDAY

MIDTERM

Amusing the Roman masses I:  theaters

Mahoney ‘Introduction’ vii-xiv

Potter & Mattingly pp. 205-224

Tertullian, On Spectacles

www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-03/anf03-09.htm - P890_350630

19

3 APRIL THURSDAY

? TCB jury duty

Amusing the Roman masses I: amphitheaters

Potter & Mattingly pp. 224-243

Mahoney pp. 1-10

Pseudo-Cyprian, On the Public Shows

www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-05/anf05-127.htm - P9656_2977231

20.

7 APRIL MONDAY

Amusing the Roman masses II: baths and bathing (with swimming)

Potter & Mattingly pp. 243-255

Suetonius, Life of Julius Caesar (selections)

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-julius.html(selections)

21.

10 APRIL THURSDAY

Actors and athletes in the Roman world

Mahoney pp. 37-64

Potter & Mattingly pp. 256-283

Suetonius, Life of the Deified Augustus (selections)

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-augustus-rolfe.html

22.

14 APRIL MONDAY

Chariot racing I

Mahoney pp. 24-36

Suetonius, Life of Caligula (selections)

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-caligula.html

23.

17 APRIL THURSDAY

Chariot racing II

Potter & Mattingly pp. 284-303

Suetonius, Life of Nero (selections)

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-nero-rolfe.html

24.

21 APRIL MONDAY

Chariot racing III

Potter & Mattingly pp. 284-303 (continued)

Suetonius, Life of Vitellius

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-vitellius-rolfe.html

25.

24 APRIL THURSDAY

Gladiators I

Mahoney pp. 11-23

Potter & Mattingly pp. 303-325

26.

28 APRIL MONDAY

Gladiators II

Potter & Mattingly pp. 303-325 (continued)

Suetonius, Life of Domitian (selections)

www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-domitian-rolfe.html

27.

1 MAY THURSDAY

Gladiators III

Mahoney pp. 91-100

Historia Augusta Life of Elagabalus

http://members.aol.com/heliogabby/bio/eng.htm

28.

5 MAY MONDAY

Sports and Roman Politics

Mahoney pp. 71-90

PAPER II DUE

 

8 MAY THURSDAY 8 AM-11 AM

EXAM