Institute of Mediterranean Studies Video Lecture Series, Volume II, 1997. The subject of Greek athletics and sport has increasingly found its way into today's college and high school classrooms. On many campuses the subject merits its own course, while on others, and in many high schools, it forms a significant segment of such courses as Greek Archaeology, Greek Civilization, or Western Civilization. Teachers, most of whom are not experts in this field, have long known that illustrations are central to the task of teaching this intrinsically interesting subject. Neither the beauty of a Pindaric ode nor a description lifted from the pages of Pausanias or an ancient lexicographer has the same immediate impact on a student as that of a vase painting depicting a given event.
Many instructors make ample use of slides taken from textbooks.
But not all teachers are aware of these resources and no one book contains all the images a good course may require. Moreover, the study of Greek athletics also implies a study of the venues and structures where these competitions occurred. Slides of such ruins are a bit harder to find in books and, in point of fact, slides are inferior to the moving image when it comes to showing the scope and sweep of a site or its natural location. Unfortunately, upon careful viewing, it must be stated that this film does more to highlight the need for such a tape than to fill it. While the tape has an admirable goal and does do some things rather well, it falls far short of attaining the overall goal of serving as a useful in-class teaching instrument.