LO SPORT IN MAGNA GRECIA E SICILIA TESTIMONIANZE EPIGRAFICHE E LETTERARIE

Abstract

Written and archaeological sources testify to the participation of Western Greeks in both Panhellenic and
local agones since the Archaic age. As regards the presence of sports festivals in Magna Graecia, however,
testimonies are more uncertain and dubious.
The contribution takes into consideration the evidence attesting to the presence of competitions and festivals
in Magna Graecia and Sicily, in an attempt to give as complete a picture as possible.
The city that had the largest number of contests in Magna Graecia, for example, was Taranto. Moving to Sicily,
in Syracuse we find an annual competition in honor of Zeus Eleutherios. In Pozzuoli, starting from the
first half of the 2nd century AD the Eusebean Games were held, while in Naples, in the Augustan age, the
Italikà Rhomaia Sebastà Isolympia were established in honor of Augustus to thank him for having helped
the city after a devastating earthquake.