A brief history of the Olympic games [[electronic resource] /] / David C. Young

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910145282003321
• Autore: Young David C
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Malden, MA, : Blackwell Pub., 2004
• ISBN: 1-281-31945-7; 9786611319458; 0-470-77482-7; 0-470-77775-3
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (202 p.)
• Collana: Brief histories of the ancient world
• Disciplina: 796.48
• Soggetti: Olympic games (Ancient) - History
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (p. [177]-180) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Contents; List of Figures; Preface; 1 Introduction; 2 Beginnings and Evidence; 3 Athletic Events; 4 Combat and Equestrian Events; 5 Zeus Country; 6 Pindar and Immortality; 7 Body, Mind, and Greek Athletics; 8 Questions of Profit and Social Class; 9 The Athletes; 10 Women and Greek Athletics; 11 Between the Greek and Roman Worlds; 12 The Later Centuries of Olympia; 13 The Origin and Authenticity of the Modern Olympic Games; Appendix A: Chronology and Schedule of the Athletic Circuit; Appendix B: Technical Note on Discus and Long Jump; Appendix C: Modern Issues: The Marathon and Torch Relay; NotesGlossary; Bibliography; Index
• Sommario/riassunto: For more than a millennium, the ancient Olympics captured the imaginations of the Greeks, until a Christianized Rome terminated the competitions in the fourth century AD. But the Olympic ideal did not die and this book is a succinct history of the ancient Olympics and their modern resurgence.Classics professor David Young, who has researched the subject for over 25 years, reveals how the ancient Olympics evolved from modest beginnings into a grand festival, attracting hundreds of highly trained athletes, tens of thousands of spectators, and the finest artists and poets.