University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Interrelationship of Drama and Athletics in Classical Greece

Larmour, David Henry James

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Description

Title
The Interrelationship of Drama and Athletics in Classical Greece
Author(s)
Larmour, David Henry James
Issue Date
1987
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Sansone, David
Department of Study
Classics
Discipline
Classical Philology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Literature, Classical
Abstract
  • The purpose of the dissertation is to argue for a change in the traditional approach to Greek drama and athletics: rather than viewing drama and athletics as essentially unrelated, it is preferable to consider each activity in the light of its relationship with the other.
  • Chapter one discusses the festival context in which both drama and athletics operate and shows that the conditions of performance are basically the same: dramatic and athletic victors receive similar prizes and have their victories recorded side by side. The rigid separation of athletic and dramatic/musical performances is artificial; the pyrrich dance, for instance, defies classification under the traditional headings.
  • Chapter two examines the element of conflict, the agon, which is at the root of both athletic and dramatic spectacles. The structures of both kinds of performance are similar and four basic analogies are proposed: (1) poet: athlete; (2) dramatic competition: athletic contest; (3) character in drama: athlete; (4) dramatic conflict: athletic contest.
  • Chapter three focuses on the texts of Greek tragedy and comedy. Athletic terminology and imagery are very common in most extant plays. Words to do with conflict (the agon), victory, wrestling and running are the most frequently used.
Graduation Semester
1987
Type of Resource
text
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