Olympia : The Story of the Ancient Olympic Games

Resumen del libro

In the northwestern corner of the great peninsula of the Peloponnese, close to the meeting point of the Cladeus and Alpheus rivers, lies a peaceful river valley overlooked by the steep-sided Hill of Cronus. Here, between the eighth century BCE and the fourth century CE, rival athletes competed for glory in the ancient Olympic Games. Every four years, and from every corner of the Mediterranean world - from Samos to Syracuse and from Sparta to Smyrna - they descended on this quiet corner of southern Greece sacred to Zeus, seeking to excel in disciplines as diverse as sprinting, boxing, wrestling, trumpet blowing and chariot and mulecart racing.

The victors of these ancient games may have been awarded crowns of olive leaves in recognition of their achievements, but these original Olympics were no idealistic celebration of the classical aesthetic of grace and beauty shared by all of the participating Greek city-states, but often a bitterly contested struggle between political rivals. Robin Waterfield paints a vivid picture of the reality of the ancient Olympic Games; describes the events in which competitors took part; explores their purpose, rituals and politics; and charts the vicissitudes of their remarkable thousand-year history.

Biografía del autor

Robin Waterfield es uno de los más prestigiosos helenistas de la actualidad. Además de traductor de referencia de Platón en lengua inglesa, forma parte del comité de expertos del Plato's Academy Centre de Atenas, donde reside, y ha publicado ensayos divulgativos sobre la Antigua Grecia como 'La retirada de Jenofonte', 'La muerte de Sócrates' o 'La guerra por el imperio de Alejandro Magno'.