Athletics represented an important institution through which the Greek aristocracies sought to maintain their privileged political position, with the assistance of charioteers, jockeys and trainers from the lower classes. In the late archaic and early classical period, the relationship between the victors and helpers changed radically, threatening the political value of athletics, and undermining the institution for aristocrats. Nigel Nicholson examines how aristocrats responded to these changes through a study of the significance of victory memorials as a symbol of social struggle in ancient Greece.
Athletics represented an important institution through which the Greek aristocracies sought to maintain their privileged political position. Victory, however, had always involved the use of those in lower classes, such as charioteers, jockeys, and trainers. In the late archaic and early classical period, the relationship between the victors and these helpers changed radically, which threatened the political value of athletics, and thus undermined the utility of the institution for aristocrats. Nigel Nicholson examines how aristocrats responded to these changes through a study of victory memorials.
