Abstract

GARCIA SOLER, María José. The Athlete’s Body in Ancient Greece: Between Physical Ideal and Excess. Nova tellus [online]. 2025, vol.43, n.1, pp.81-101.  Epub May 23, 2025. ISSN 0185-3058.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.nt.2025.43.1/071s00x24w64.

In the Greek world, the figure of an athlete is often presented as a model of human ideal. Classical sculpture depicts bodies bordering on perfection and references abound about the social recognition they received. However, at the same time critical voices were raised against athletes’ excessive training particularly by poets and intellectuals. They criticized both hard training which caused serious physical and even mental diseases, as well as boundless enthusiasm for their activities. This article will review testimonies that reflect this double face of sporting world in ancient Greece.

Keywords : Sport in Antiquity; Ancient Dietetics; Sports Nutrition; Criticism of Sport; Sport in Greek Literature.

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