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Combining ancient sports research and sensory studies, this volume unveils new insights into the societal and cultural history of Greek athletics. From the touch and smell of ancient substances and the taste of the athletic diet, to the sight of muscular bodies and the endurance of extreme temperatures, this book offers a unique glimpse into the vivid sensory world of Greek athletics. By examining these sensory experiences, readers will gain profound insights into the connections forged between athletes and their natural surroundings, the influence of imperial power and the significance of athletics within Greek poleis and ancient literature.

This collection of thought-provoking chapters explores topics such as the importance of the relationship between Roman emperors and Greek athletics; the use and experience of strigils, oil and dust in athletic contexts; and the transformative power of the sensory experience as featured in classical literature. Emperor Julian (331-363 CE) is one such example of this, whose understanding of the senses is grounded in an Iamblichean theory of moral psychology and whose writing touches on the multi-sensory experience of these spectacles. This book analyses this perspective, asking to what extent these sense-perceptual experiences made athletic contests a beneficial civic institution.