A portrait of the Greek Olympics as they really were - fierce contests between bitter rivals, in which victors won kudos and rewards, and losers faced scorn and even assault. After reading this book, no one will see the Olympics as a graceful display of Greek beauty again, but as war by other means.

Foreword to the New Edition ; Overture ; 1. 'War Minus the Shooting' ; 2. In Training for Beautiful Goodness ; 3. The Programme of Agony ; 4. Sweet Victory ; 5. The Politics of Contest ; 6. Olympia: The Origins ; 7. Olympia: The Afterlife ; Epilogue ; Sources and Further Reading ; Index

`Review from previous edition Review from previous edition Excellent... fascinating background reading for anyone planning to watch Athens 2004.' Sunday Times `Spivey's prose is always full of flavour and The Ancient Olympics must rate as one of the most enjoyable and intelligent books about the ancient Greeks currently on the market.' James Davidson, Daily Telegraph `Absorbing... crammed with information about the sporting events themselves' The Spectator `For the real story of the Olympics this is the ideal read: a very lively look at the games from ancient to modern.' Publishing News `Spivey is an ideal companion for this fine journey through Greece - past and present. We find out what Olympia represented in Antiquity and how the Olympics have become a part of the Western psyche.' Bettany Hughes, historian and presenter of The Spartan and Seven Ages of Britain

The story of the how the Olympic Games were first created Paints a portrait of the Greek Olympics as they really were - fierce contests between bitter rivals, in which victors won kudos and rewards, and losers faced scorn and even assault Shows how Greek notions of beauty and competitiveness have influenced our modern culture With a new foreword by the author on the history of the Olympics since ancient times

Nigel Spivey is Senior Lecturer in Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, where he also is a Fellow of Emmanuel College. As an undergraduate he won honours at the Oxford-Cambridge athletics match, and set the university record for throwing the hammer. He went on to study at the British School at Rome and the University of Pisa. He has written widely on Classical culture and beyond: among his previous publications are the prize-winning Understanding Greek Sculpture (1996) and the widely acclaimed Enduring Creation (2001). He presented the major BBC/PBS television series How Art Made the World in 2005.

The story of the how the Olympic Games were first created Paints a portrait of the Greek Olympics as they really were - fierce contests between bitter rivals, in which victors won kudos and rewards, and losers faced scorn and even assault Shows how Greek notions of beauty and competitiveness have influenced our modern culture With a new foreword by the author on the history of the Olympics since ancient times