Book contents
- Hellenistic Athletes
- Hellenistic Athletes
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 What’s New in Hellenistic Athletics?
- Chapter 3 Athlete and Polis
- Chapter 4 Athlete and Koinon
- Chapter 5 Victorious Kings
- Chapter 6 Becoming Greek through Athletics
- Chapter 7 Conclusion
- References
- General Index
Chapter 3 - Athlete and Polis
The Hellenistic City as an Agonistic Community of Fame
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 March 2024
- Hellenistic Athletes
- Hellenistic Athletes
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 What’s New in Hellenistic Athletics?
- Chapter 3 Athlete and Polis
- Chapter 4 Athlete and Koinon
- Chapter 5 Victorious Kings
- Chapter 6 Becoming Greek through Athletics
- Chapter 7 Conclusion
- References
- General Index
Summary
This chapter unites a multiplicity of individual case studies on the relationship between athletic victors and their hometowns. In Rhodes, the impressive Olympic victories of the second century were based upon a strong aristocracy that served as a guarantor of the success at a time when the political influence of the city diminished after the Third Macedonian War. In a similar manner, third-century Theban victors compensated for their city’s political ill fortune by presenting their hometown as a young and vital community. In Sparta and Messene, competitive constellations were transferred from the political arena to the agonistic sphere. Victor epigrams from both poleis formed part of a political discourse whose pillars were represented by Spartan polis ideology on the one hand and Messenian emphasis on autonomy on the other. All in all, it becomes clear that the polis remained the most important point of reference in the self-presentation of Hellenistic athletes.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Hellenistic AthletesAgonistic Cultures and Self-Presentation, pp. 66 - 200Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024