This book is not written for scholars, but for a wider audience. It offers an introduction to Greek and Roman sport, and it also provides many comparisons between ancient and modern phenomena. While other books have emphasized the differences, Peter Miller focuses on the similarities and influences. The first sentence on the back-cover blurb sets the theme: “Modern sport cannot be understood without ancient sport.”
A short introduction is followed by six thematically organized chapters. “1: Sport in Greek Antiquity” discusses the origins of sport in Greece and the organization of the Olympics and other Panhellenic festivals, while also providing an overview of the different media for the victors’ self-presentation (statues, epinician odes etc.). In addition, Miller explains the social importance of the gymnasia, and this institution is the starting point for bringing in modern phenomena: according to Miller, the Greek idea to see mental and physical developments as intertwined had a decisive influence on modern educational theory.
The second chapter (“Sport in Roman Antiquity”) contains basic information on Roman chariot racing and gladiator fights. Miller sees similarities in the presentation of athletic records, referring to inscriptions of the Roman agitator Crescens (CIL VI 10050) and of Hank Aaron in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Chapter 3 (“Ancient and Modern Olympics”) takes us back to Greek festivals, with Miller pointing to the numerous stories about the origins of the contests in Olympia. The history of this festival was frequently rewritten in antiquity, a fact that leads Miller to discuss the numerous attempts in the 19th century to bring new Olympic games to life, until de Coubertin and the IOC succeeded in establishing a permanent institution.
The athletes’ bodies are the subject of chapter four (“Beauty, Strength and Physical Culture”). It discusses the criticism of sport by ancient physicians and presents the disciplines of euandria (“manliness”) and euexia (“good bodily condition”), which were not concerned with measurable performance, but with the evaluation of bodily appearance. The physical culture that arose at the end of the 19th century – with celebrated strongmen as the most visible expression – are seen by Miller as a revival of the ancient ideals of male beauty. Chapter 5 (“Arenas, Stadiums and Gyms”) contains an introduction to the architecture of ancient stadiums, hippodromes, circuses and amphitheaters. The influence of ancient buildings on the architecture of modern sports is uncontroversial.
While these five chapters provide both an introduction to a specific topic of ancient sport and a view on modern phenomena, the last one (6: “Olympic Art and Cinema”) is dedicated exclusively to the reception of ancient sport in mass media. The huge presence of Roman spectacles in films is obvious, the most famous examples being “Ben Hur” (1959), “Spartacus” (1960) and “Gladiator” (2000). Lesser known are the official posters of the Olympic Games, and it is very welcome that Miller demonstrates these, taking examples from Stockholm 1912 to Athens 2004, and illustrates how important ancient symbols and works of art have always been for the presentation of the world’s largest sporting event.
The book covers a huge range of topics, and inevitably it remains on the surface and does not provide in-depth analyses. References to scholarly literature are scarce and limited to English works. As every author writing about the history of sport, Miller faces the problem that “sports are hard to define” (1). His own approach is not without contradiction: on the same page (2), the statement that “sports require competition” contrasts with the inclusion of “physical displays, though not necessarily competitive ones” (2); and, while physical activity is seen in the introduction as a mandatory component of sport, the book includes the contest of euexia, in which not a performance, but the bodily appearance of the participants was evaluated.
But these are minor queries. 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, in this Olympic year 2024 and beyond.