Public spectacles in ancient Greece consisted especially of athletic competitions and theatrical performances which served to strengthen ancient Greek citizens’ sense of belonging in Greek culture and ...

The ancient Greeks would have been puzzled by the modern Olympic obsession with catching athletes who use performance-enhancing substances. "Winning was everything," says Olympic scholar William Blake ...

Reviewed Work: Two Studies in the History of Ancient Greek Athletics. 1. A Survey of the Proliferation of Athletic and Equestrian Competitions in Late Archaic and Classical Greece. 2. The Prestige of ...

ATHENS (Reuters) - Ancient Greek athletes sometimes resorted to cheating, bribing competitors and potions to secure victory at the Olympic Games, a far cry from the image of the classical sporting ...

The discus throw event has been included in every modern Olympics since its inaugural 1896 edition held in Athens (where Robert Garrett representing the United States won the gold medal), and can be ...

Ancient Greek Athletics by Stephen G. Miller Yale University Press, 288 pp., $35 THE MODERN OLYMPIC MARATHON derives its name, of course, from the famous victory of the Greeks over the invading ...

At the ancient Olympics in Greece, athletes weren’t the only stars of the show. The spectacle also attracted poets, who recited their works for eager audiences. Competitors commissioned bigger names ...