CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION 372
SPORT AND DAILY LIFE IN THE ROMAN WORLD
Arthur Verhoogt
Department of Classical Studies
2124 Angell Hall
e-mail: verhoogt@umich.edu
Office hours: W 2-3;Th 3-4
MWF 1-2, AUD NS
GSIs
Laura Banducci
Clara BosakSchroeder
Ellen Cole
Andrew Stem
Sport was as important for the ancient Romans as it is for present-day Americans. Apart
from being sheer entertainment and fun, Roman sports also provided a venue for the
ancient Romans to articulate the things that mattered in their culture: Sport, in other
words, was all about what it meant to be Roman. In this course we will introduce the
various athletic events in the Roman Empire (from the Roman version of Ultimate
Fighting to the Roman NASCAR), the facilities (a Roman ‘Big House”), and people
involved (from athletes to commissioners), and discuss how Roman sports help to
understand the broad structures of Roman life.
SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND READINGS
Week I
September 9: Introduction; course expectations
September 11: Why study ancient sports (Kyle, Sport and Spectacle…, 1-22; ctools)
Week II
September 14: Evidence for the Roman World (Potter, Ancient Rome, 9-18)
September 16: Rome’s playing field (Sallares, “Ecology”, in CEHGRW, 15-37; ctools)
September 18: Coming of Rome (Potter, Ancient Rome, 19-54)
Section: key terms
Week III
September 21: Towards a Roman Empire (Potter, Ancient Rome, 55-98)
September 23: Roman Society: Demography (Frier, in Potter-Mattingly, 85-112)
September 25: Roman Society: Slavery (Bradley, selections; ctools)
Section: key terms
Week IV
September 28: Roman Society: The family (Hanson, in Potter-Mattingly, 19-43)
September 30: Greek sports (Miller, Ancient Greek Athletics, 31-86; ctools)
October 2: TBD
Section: discuss computer assignment 1
COMPUTER ASSIGNMENT 1: The Roman Family (open 9/28; due 10/5 @ 9 am)
Week V
October 5: Egyptian Sports (Decker, 60-103; ctools)
October 7: Origins of Roman sports (Futrell Roman Games, 1-11)
October 9: Sports and Politics 1 (Futrell, Roman Games, 11-29)
Section: key terms
Week VI
October 12: Sporting Facilities: the “Big House” (Futrell, Roman Games, 52-67; Dodge, in:
Potter-Mattingly, 224-235)
October 14: Sporting Facilities: Circus Maximus (Futrell, Roman Games, 67-77; Dodge, in:
Potter-Mattingly 236-241)
October 16: Failure of Republic (Potter, Ancient Rome, 99-138)
Section: key terms
Week VII
October 19: No Class (Fall Break)
October 21: Review
October 23: HOUR EXAM
No sections (extra office hours)
Week VIII
October 26: From Republic to Principate (Potter, Ancient Rome, 139-174)
October 28: Augustus (Potter, Ancient Rome, 174-194)
October 30: Politics and sports 2 (Futrell, Roman Games, 29-51)
Section: key terms
Week IX
November 2: Gladiators (Potter in Potter-Mattingly, 303-324)
November 4: Life and death of gladiators (Futrell, Roman Games, 138-155)
November 6: A Day at the games (Futrell, Roman Games, 84-103)
Section: discuss computer assignment 2
COMPUTER ASSIGNMENT 2: Gladiators (open 11/2; due 11/9 @ 9 am)
Week X
November 9: Audiences (Futrell, Roman Games, 104-113; 117-119)
November 11: Charioteers (Potter in Potter-Mattingly 284-303)
November 13: Chariot races (Futrell 189-208)
Section: key terms
Week XI
November 16: High Empire (Potter, Ancient Rome, 195-250)
November 18: More High Empire (Potter, Ancient Rome, 195-250)
November 20: Greek Sports in Roman times (Kyle, Sport and Spectacle 329-339; Miller, Arete,
160-164; ctools)
Section: discuss computer assignment 3
COMPUTER ASSIGMENT 3: Sporting Emperors (open 11/16; due 11/23 @ 9 am)
Week XII
November 23: Boxing (Poliakoff 68-88; ctools)
November 25: A Heavy-weight from Egypt (TBD)
November 27: No Class (Thanksgiving Break)
Section: High Empire
Week XIII
November 30: Roman male elites (Gleason in: Potter-Mattingly, )
December 2: Thinking about Greek Sports (Philostratus; ctools)
December 4: Thinking about Athletics (Galen; ctools)
Section: discuss computer assignment 4
COMPUTER ASSIGNMENT 4: Egyptian Athletes (open 11/30; due 12/7 @ 9 am)
Week XIV
December 7: Towards a Christian Empire (Potter, Ancient Rome, 251-300)
December 9: Christians and games (Futrell 172-188)
December 11: End of Empire (Potter, Ancient Rome, 301-334)
Section: key terms
Week XV
December 14: The Worlds of Roman Sport
Final exam: Friday, 18 December, 4-6 pm
Required Readings
A. Futrell, Roman Games.
D.S. Potter and D. Mattingly, Life, Death and Entertainment in the Roman Empire.
David Potter, Ancient Rome: A New History (2009)
Other Reading on the Course Tools site as indicated on the syllabus.
Course Requirements:
The requirements for this class consist of daily preparation for class by thoroughly reading the
assigned readings, 1 one-hour examination, 4 computer assignments, and 1 final exam, as well as
several smaller assignments and contributions during section. These contribute to your final grade
in the following manner:
Section participation: 20%
Computer Assignments: 30%
One-Hour Exam: 20%
Final Exam: 30%
The examinations will consist of identifications from the secondary readings and essay questions.
The terms for id-questions will be discussed in section. Topics about which essay questions may
be asked will be handed out before each examination. Essays should be well organized and
thorough, taking account of the evidence from primary sources.
The computer assignments will consist of translated passages from primary sources for discussion
and comment, bringing into play the things you have read in the readings and heard in lectures
and sections. The assignments should be well argued, to the point, and show sufficient command
and understanding of required readings.
Policy on Collaboration
We recognize that you will often work on assignments with your friends. This is a good thing to
do. We also recognize that this will result in some sharing of ideas, but we expect that the
assignments that you turn in will represent your own take on the material. If your assignment
shows verbal similarities to that turned in by another person in the course you will receive a 0 on
that assignment. You cannot redo assignments that have received a 0. We hope that we will not
have to invoke this rule.
Policy on Late Work
All work is due on the date that is listed on the syllabus. If for some reason—illness or an
unavoidable university-related travel commitment are usually the only ones that we will allow—
you cannot turn in the assignment on the due date, you must notify your GSI in advance, and you
will have until the next scheduled class to turn it in for full credit. Exceptions to this policy will
only be possible in cases of serious illness or family emergency, and will be determined on a
case-by-case basis.