AHIS3500
Sport and Spectacle in Antiquity
10 Units
Not available in 2014
Previously offered in 2012, 2010, 2007
The course traces the origins of sport in the Greek world through to the gladiatorial spectacles of the Roman arena. It focuses upon its role in the celebration and definition of cultural identity, the impact of sporting success upon competitors and their places of origin, its impact upon spectators, its significance as a cultural phenomenon and the uses to which it was put by individual rulers and states, especially spectacle as entertainment and propaganda. Attention is also paid to the representation of athleticism, notions of manliness, and beauty in literature and art.
| Objectives | 1. Identifying the literary and archaeological sources on sport and spectacle in the Greek and Roman words and gaining an understanding of their coverage and limitations. 2. Developing a critical approach to the study of sport nd spectacle in the Greek and Roman worlds. 3. Developing an appreciation of the importance of sport and spectacle in society and its relevance to the social structures in the Greek and Roman worlds. 4. Developing an ability to formulate opinions about and analyses of the importance and relevance of sport and spectacle in the Greek and |
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| Content | . Greek ideals of manliness, beauty, and excellence . The origins of sport in the Greek World . The Greek Competitive Festivals . The promotion of cultural identity in the Greek World . Games and Religion at Rome in the Republic . The Gladiatorial 'Munus' . Spectacle and propaganda in the early Roman Empire . The Arena: Spectators and Participants . Spectacle and Civilisation |
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| Replacing Course(s) | The main difference between the course and its predecessor lies in the shift from a primarily Greek focus on athleticism and beauty to treatment of sport as spectacle and a means of cultural and societal definition and expression. | ||||||||
| Transition | Although the content of the revised course is directed more towards the Roman world than the Greek, overlap between AHIS3500 and its predecessor HHUM3220 is such as would preclude both courses being counted towards the requirement of a program. | ||||||||
| Industrial Experience | 0 | ||||||||
| Assumed Knowledge | 20 units at any level in Ancient History or History | ||||||||
| Modes of Delivery | Internal Mode | ||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Lecture
Tutorial |
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| Assessment Items |
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| Contact Hours | Lecture: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term Tutorial: for 1 hour(s) per Week for 13 weeks |