- Paperback: 220 pages
- Publisher: Yale University Press; 1 edition (April 26 1995)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0300063121
- ISBN-13: 978-0300063127
- Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 358 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#539,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #29 in Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Leisure
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
A leading authority on classical games here provides a comprehensive study of the practice of combat sports in the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, and the Near East. Describing and analyzing the sports of boxing, wrestling, stick-fighting, and pankration, Michael B. Poliakoff discusses such topics as the function of competition and violent games in ancient society; on the social background of the participants, showing the broad spectrum of Greek athletic personnel; on the significance of the appearance of combat sport in myth and literature; and on the alleged cultic functions of the ancient combat sports. The book is copiously illustrated with photographs of numerous objects rarely or never before published.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
"...victory...gained in blood...",
By "acominatus" (Johnson City, TN United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Combat Sports in the Ancient World: Competition, Violence, and Culture (Paperback)
This book effectively shows that ancient sports werealso about the rough and tumble and agony, as well as the skill, courage, and cleverness. The book is a complete survey including information about ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, but primarily focuses on Greek and Roman sports and venues. As the author, Michael Poliakoff, says in Chapter I, "General Aspects of the Ancient Combat Sports," "Boxing, wrestling, and pankration, a sport that allowed a variety of unarmed fighting tactics, were the three important forms of combat sport in the ancient world. *** The element of fighting makes combat sports easy to mark off as a group; more difficult is settling on a definition of sport in general. I define sport and athletics in this book as activity in which a person physically competes against another in a contest with established regulations and procedures, with the immediate object of succeeding in that contest under criteria for determining victory that are different from those that mark success in everyday life." The chapters of the book are: General Aspects of the Ancient Combat Sports/ Wrestling/ Pankration/ Stick Fighting/ Boxing/ The Nature and Purpose of Combat Sport/ The Participants in Greek Combat Sport/ Metaphor, Myth, and Reality/ as well as an Appendix titled "Combat Sport, Funeral Cult, and Human Sacrifice." The book is very well illustrated throughout the text with photographs from vases, drinking cups, statues, Egyptian wall paintings and sculptures, a photo of a Greek wrestling manuscript, and a modern photo of Nuba wrestlers in the Sudan. Each of the chapters is also divided into interesting sub-sections. In Chapter VI, for instance, the sub-sections are: The Problem of Athletic Violence/ The Nature of Ancient Criticism/ Military Consideratons/ Military Critics/ An Agonistic Society/ Sport in Other Cultures: The Contrast with Greece/ and, Greek Agon and Social Need. Each chapter starts with a highly interesting and engrossing introductory paragraph. From the "Wrestling" chapter comes this: "Wrestling appealed deeply to the ancients. Though far from being a gentle sport, it is substantially less violent and injurious than the other two combat sports: it pits one man against another in a close struggle that maximizes the role of skill and science. In a manner that encourges wide participation, it tests an array of martial virtues: cunning, boldness, courage, self-reliance, and perseverance." -- Robert Kilgore.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good historical review of "Combat Sports." back then.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Combat Sports in the Ancient World: Competition, Violence, and Culture (Paperback)
I give this book an 8 because it had a vlaue to me beyond what normally would be sought. I am a fan of today's comabt sports, the UFC, Pancrase, Vale Tudo, etc... This was the beginning and it was facinating to me. I had read about Pancration, Boxing and Wrestling in ancient times in another book (which this list doesn't have access to I notice...) called "Living in teh Combat Zone" by Rick Renner - published by Pillar Books of Tulsa OK. It's A Christian book, but has tremendous historical value as well.Joe
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews) 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Survey of Classical Martial Arts,
By George R Dekle "Bob Dekle" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Combat Sports in the Ancient World: Competition, Violence, and Culture (Paperback)
Poliakoff gives a thorough overview of the three combat sports of the ancient Olympics (wrestling, boxing, & pankration), their rules, the training involved, and the attitudes of the Ancients towards those sports. He speaks briefly of Egyptian stick fighting, but the dearth of ancient literature on the subject means he can treat it only superficially.In addition to describing the sports, Poliakoff gives biographies of some of the more famous practitioners and voices some opinions about the usefulness of combat sports to the body politic, especially in the field of athletics. In his exposition, Poliakoff sometimes dismisses as fantastical legend some feats which are achievable by well trained athletes. For example, he expresses grave doubts about the tradition that the wrestler Milo of Kroton could lift and carry a bull. In the mid-20th century there was a carnival performer, H.E. Mann, who lifted and carried a bull as a part of his act. Mann's act was inspired by Milo. Poliakoff neglects to mention that Milo is credited as the father of "progressive resistance" weight training. Milo began with a calf and lifted it daily until it became full grown. H.E. Mann trained for his carnival act exactly as Milo did, beginning with a calf and lifting it daily until it became full grown. One of the USA's earliests vendors of weight training equipment was the Milo Barbell Company. Poliakoff takes a dim view of the savagery involved in ancient combat sports and sees no correlation between the combat sports and actual military service. Although Poliakoff seeks to show that excellent combat athletes make poor soldiers, he does cite numerous counter examples to his position. It seems ancient Greek history is full of individuals who distinguished themselves both in the games and on the battlefield. Notwithstanding Poliakoff's anti-combat-sports agenda, the book is an informative and enjoyable reading experience. 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
"...victory...gained in blood...",
By "acominatus" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Combat Sports in the Ancient World: Competition, Violence, and Culture (Paperback)
This book effectively shows that ancient sports werealso about the rough and tumble and agony, as well as the skill, courage, and cleverness. The book is a complete survey including information about ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, but primarily focuses on Greek and Roman sports and venues. As the author, Michael Poliakoff, says in Chapter I, "General Aspects of the Ancient Combat Sports," "Boxing, wrestling, and pankration, a sport that allowed a variety of unarmed fighting tactics, were the three important forms of combat sport in the ancient world. *** The element of fighting makes combat sports easy to mark off as a group; more difficult is settling on a definition of sport in general. I define sport and athletics in this book as activity in which a person physically competes against another in a contest with established regulations and procedures, with the immediate object of succeeding in that contest under criteria for determining victory that are different from those that mark success in everyday life." The chapters of the book are: General Aspects of the Ancient Combat Sports/ Wrestling/ Pankration/ Stick Fighting/ Boxing/ The Nature and Purpose of Combat Sport/ The Participants in Greek Combat Sport/ Metaphor, Myth, and Reality/ as well as an Appendix titled "Combat Sport, Funeral Cult, and Human Sacrifice." The book is very well illustrated throughout the text with photographs from vases, drinking cups, statues, Egyptian wall paintings and sculptures, a photo of a Greek wrestling manuscript, and a modern photo of Nuba wrestlers in the Sudan. Each of the chapters is also divided into interesting sub-sections. In Chapter VI, for instance, the sub-sections are: The Problem of Athletic Violence/ The Nature of Ancient Criticism/ Military Consideratons/ Military Critics/ An Agonistic Society/ Sport in Other Cultures: The Contrast with Greece/ and, Greek Agon and Social Need. Each chapter starts with a highly interesting and engrossing introductory paragraph. From the "Wrestling" chapter comes this: "Wrestling appealed deeply to the ancients. Though far from being a gentle sport, it is substantially less violent and injurious than the other two combat sports: it pits one man against another in a close struggle that maximizes the role of skill and science. In a manner that encourges wide participation, it tests an array of martial virtues: cunning, boldness, courage, self-reliance, and perseverance." -- Robert Kilgore. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
besser geht kaum,
By Konrad Stein "El viejo lobo." - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Combat Sports in the Ancient World: Competition, Violence, and Culture (Paperback)
Wäre Poliakoff ein Kampfkünstler, sein Buch hätte stellenweise mehr "Insider-Lebendigkeit". Aber auch ohne diesen Punkt ist das Werk einfach hervorragend. Es gibt kaum ein besseres Buch zu diesem Thema. Alle anderen, die ich hierzu gelesen habe, weisen die eine oder andere Schwäche auf. This book is recommended for all martial artists.
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