The Victor's Crown

The Victor's Crown:
A History of Ancient Sport
from Homer to Byzantium

This book about ancient sport is written by David S. Potter, who is a Professor of Greek and Latin in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Michigan, and the author of several books about the ancient world, including Emperors of Rome (2008). He is co-editor of Life, Death, and Entertainment in the Roman Empire (first edition 1999, second edition 2010).

Following a brief introduction, the main text is divided into five parts (and 29 chapters) which follow a chronological line. Here is an overview:

      PART 1: ASHES, LINEN AND THE ORIGINS OF SPORT - Chapters 1-3

      PART 2: OLYMPIA - Chapters 4-10

      PART 3: THE WORLD OF THE GYMNASIUM - Chapters 11-13

      PART 4: ROMAN GAMES - Chapters 14-18

      PART 5: IMPERIAL GAMES - Chapters 19-29

In the middle of the book there is a picture section: 8 pages with 23 illustrations (most of them in colour) printed on glossy paper.

At the end of the book there is a reference section where we find notes with references to ancient sources and modern scholarship; a bibliography, and an index.

Here are some important statements from the book:

(a) There was no universal calendar in ancient Greece: “there was no common way of measuring time in the Greek world” (page 38).

(b) How did the ancient Greeks know when to show up for the Olympics? The games took place every four years “at the time of the full moon in August,” i.e. during “the second full moon after the summer solstice” (page 57).

(c) Sport is an important aspect of ancient Greece: “It is a sign of the importance of sport in the consciousness of Greek society, at the turn of the sixth to the fifth century, that sport history was being recorded in much more detail than the history of any state” (page 88).

This is a good book, but I have to mention a few things which bother me:

(1) The system where all illustrations are placed in one block in the middle of the book is old-fashioned and not very user-friendly. The modern method is to place the text and the illustration next to each other, so that you can study the illustration while you are reading the text. This method is much more user-friendly.

(2) While the bibliography is rather long (38 pages) and quite comprehensive, the general index is rather short (only 10 pages) and not comprehensive at all. Several persons, who are mentioned in the text, are not listed in the index. To give just one example: the famous Roman charioteer Publius Aelius Gutta Calpurnianus, who won 1,227 races, is mentioned on page 277, but he is not listed in the index. The fact that the index is incomplete is unfortunate.

(3) When we are dealing with a topic like sport, we want not only words but also pictures. The author seems to be aware of this fact, but he is not consistent, and he does not follow through. In chapter 24, “Images of sport,” and elsewhere in his book, he mentions several archaeological objects such as floor mosaics, wall paintings, statues, and other monuments. Some - but not all - of them are shown in the book. Why not be consistent and show all the objects discussed? This would help the reader understand the point the author wants to make and the story he wants to tell.

Some famous archaeological objects, which are highly relevant for a book about ancient sport, are entirely missing. Let me give you three examples:

(a) The bronze statue of the sitting boxer was discovered on the Quirinal Hill in Rome, near the Baths of Constantine, in 1885. For this reason it is also known as the therme boxer. Today it is placed in the so-called Aula Ottagona, the octagonal hall, which is a part of Diocletian’s Baths, and today a part of the National Roman Museum.

(b) The marble statue of the victorious boxer, also known as the standing boxer, made by Koblanos of Aphrodisias, was discovered in Sorrento in 1888. Today it is placed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

(c) The large polychrome floor mosaic, which shows the Roman charioteers Paulus and Marcianus, was discovered in the Spanish town of Mérida in 1977. Next to the names of the charioteers we have the Greek word for victory, first time spelled NICA; second time spelled NICHA. Marcianus’ leading horse is also named. It is called Inluminator. Today this mosaic is placed in Mérida’s very impressive National Museum of Roman Art.

Potter deals with boxing in the Greek world as well as the Roman world in many instances, but his book does not show the sitting boxer from Rome or the victorious boxer from Sorrento. They are not even mentioned.

Potter deals with chariot racing in the Greek world as well as the Roman world in many instances, but his book does not show the floor mosaic of the two Roman charioteers from Mérida. It is not even mentioned.

Potter is an experienced author, who knows his topic well, but his book is flawed. Why does he give us an index, which is incomplete, when he should give us one that is comprehensive? He should know better. Today it is easy to find a good picture of almost any archaeological object. Why does he not show us all the objects that he mentions in his book? This would make it easier for him to get his message across, and it would mean that the book would be so much better.

As already stated, this is a good book, but it is flawed in several ways. Therefore I can only give it a rating of four stars.

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David S. Potter,

The Victor's Crown:

A History of Ancient Sport from Homer to Byzantium,

hardcover, 2011, paperback 2012, 416 pages

 

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