Sport by Peter J Miller

Sport by Peter J Miller

Modern sport cannot be understood without ancient sport. Sport saturates contemporary society and the global reach of sport and its intense popularity characterizes the modern world. But, at the same time, sport is one of the most ancient human pursuits. In the globalized sport of today, the type of athletic performance and the ideology of sport and its apparent origins are mostly derived from the model of one pre-modern civilization: Graeco-Roman antiquity.

Juxtaposing ancient writers with recent ones, including the modern Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin and physical fitness impresario Bernarr Macfadden, and by examining the representation of sport in Olympic films, Miller demonstrates the ancient heritage of contemporary sport, and the creative ways in which ancient sport has been adapted, appropriated, mishandled and reimagined. Sport today contains a surprising contradiction: its explicit modernity (from its technological sophistication and integration into capitalist markets to its institutionalization and celebrity culture) and its supposed antiquity (from the mythology of the Olympics to the ancient roots of sporting civic and national pride, and the emotional and near religious fervour of sports fans).

This book intervenes in one of the most important of the receptions of classical antiquity by examining how sports personalities, agencies, institutions and movements have consciously connected themselves to the Graeco-Roman past, even as they continue to insist on their own centrality in the modern world.

Miller expertly navigates the complex and fascinating world of ancient sport, as well as shining a perceptive light of some of the more and less well-known ways in which ancient sport has impacted on the modern world* Michael Scott, Professor of Classics and Ancient History, University Of Warwick, UK *
I would encourage anyone with even a passing interest in the sporting identity of the West to seek out this remarkable book for the wealth of insights it offers. * The Journal of Classics Teaching *
The book offers a solid overview of the history of ancient sport and introduces readers to a wide range of relevant sources, including different genres of literature, inscriptions, sculptures, and vases. Moreover, it sheds light on numerous interesting aspects of the history of reception, and the well-chosen illustrations are especially welcome. It is to be hoped that this book will succeed in getting many people interested in this fascinating subject. -- Christian Mann, Universität Mannheim * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

Peter J. Miller is Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Winnipeg, Canada. His research focuses on ancient Greek poetry and ancient Greek athletics. He teaches courses in ancient Greek and Roman sport, and has given numerous academic and public lectures on sport, physical fitness and antiquity.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781350140202
ISBN 10	1350140201
Title	Sport
Author	Peter J Miller
Series	Ancients And Moderns
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	2023-01-12
Number of pages	240
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.