Praise, Poetry, and Sport in Ancient Greece

Fri. Oct. 25 04:00 PM - Fri. Oct. 25 05:00 PM

October 25, 2024 | 3D01 | 4:00-5:00pm
Dr. Peter Miller, University of Winnipeg

UCLA football coach Red Sanders was fond of saying, “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” If this was true for mid-twentieth-century college football, it’s perhaps even more true for the complex and sophisticated athletic culture of ancient Greece. But Greek athletes didn’t only want to win. Just like today, they wanted everyone to know their accomplishments. This talk, based on a new book, examines how athletes used poetry, song, and sculpture, to transmit their fame across the ancient Greek world – and even to today.