The Pentathlon of the Ancient World - Softcover

Zarnowski, Frank

9780786467839: The Pentathlon of the Ancient World

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786467835 ISBN 13: 9780786467839

Publisher: McFarland & Co, 2012

The pentathlon, comprising competition in the discus, javelin, long jump, sprint, and wrestling, was hailed as the ultimate test of athletic versatility and remained a staple of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, Crown Games and Pan-Hellenic festivals for 1,200 years. Still, there is little scholarly consensus over many major aspects of the event. This detailed exploration of the ancient pentathlon explores the nature of the spectacle, the method of determining a victor, the five sub-events of which the pentathlon is composed, and the order in which they occurred. It also chronicles the history of the event and its champions, the recognition of ancient pentathletes, and considers the event's 18-year modern Olympic history and its influence on its contemporary counterpart, the decathalon. A record book and glossary complete this fresh look at one of the ancient world's most renowned sporting competitions.

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Review:

"informative...highly recommended"--Midwest Book Review.

About the Author:

Frank Zarnowski is a visiting professor of economics at Dartmouth and previously dean of the Graduate Program of Business at Mount St. Mary’s College, Maryland. He has been a television sports commentator since 1983 and was an NBC analyst for both the 1992 and 2004 Olympic Games.

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