Games, contests and the idea of competitive rivalry in early Greek and Roman childhood

• Autores: Ingomar Weiler
• Localización: Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, ISSN 0076-0730, Vol. 61, Nº. 1, 2018, págs. 104-118
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This contribution discusses some topics concerning the physical activities of young children in ancient Greek society, especially games and contests. In Greek terminology and in general language use, these children are denoted as 'bréphos', 'paidíon' or 'paidískē' and paidískos. 'Paidíon' is a term for a young child generally less than seven years and paīs for the age of seven up to fourteen years. Several Greek and Roman authors inform us about the games, contests, and the educational program for this age‐category (i.e., before boys go to the gymnasium). The following texts discuss some examples of games and physical exercise in early childhood: Plato, "Protagoras" 325c–326c, "Leges" 794c–808c; Ps.‐Plato, "Axiochus" 366–7; Aeschines, "Kata Timarchou" 9–12; Aristotle, "Politika" 1336a9–15 and 8.1338b40–1339a7; Horatius Flaccus, "Ars Poetica" 409–14; Quintilian, "Institutio oratoria" 1.1.20; Plutarch, "Lycurgus" 14; Pausanias 5.16.2; Flavius Philostratos, "Peri gymnastikes" 25, 28 and "Vitae sophistarum" 1.21.