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Canali De Rossi (F.) Hippiká. Corse di cavalli e di carri in Grecia, Etruria e Roma. Le radici classiche della moderna competizione sportiva. Volume II: Le corse al galoppo montato nell' antica Grecia . (Nikephoros Beihefte 22.) Pp. x + 158, pls. Hildesheim : Weidmann , 2016. Paper, [euro]39.80. ISBN: 978-3-615-00421-2 .
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This book is the second instalment in a series by C.d.R. examining horse racing and chariot racing in Greece, Etruria and Rome. This particular volume focuses on the mounted horse race (the keles) in ancient Greece. The keles and other ridden races are a topic deserving of scholarly attention, as the majority of publications on equestrian athletics in the ancient world have focused on chariot racing. Thus C.d.R. seeks to fill a somewhat sizable gap with this volume by providing an introduction to the subject and an overview of its history.
The text is, for the most part, divided into a chronological analysis of horse racing, from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. C.d.R. begins with a brief section of references to riding (as opposed to driving) in Homer. He then moves on to depictions of equestrians in Mycenaean and Geometric art. C.d.R.'s specific focus here is not athletic competition, but rather the evolution of the ridden horse motif. The majority...