Over on my Forbes blog, I discuss how ancient Olympians made money from games that–at least technically–only gave out a corona of leaves and a palm frond to the victor. I also get into some financial subjects that, if you know me, I discuss a lot: how socio-economic privilege made athletic training and thus success easier for the wealthy than for, say, day-laborers, farmers, and lower-level artisans. Agents, sponsorships, training, and guild membership were all concerns for the ancient athlete, just as they are for the modern Olympian. That makes the modern offering of financial literacy programs and the implementation of GoFundMe pages all the more important among today’s athletes.
Yes, Ancient Olympic Athletes Had Sponsorship Deals, Too
Published by sarahemilybond
I am an Associate Professor in the History Department at the University of Iowa. I am interested in Roman, late antique, and early medieval history, archaeology, topography and GIS, Digital Humanities, and the role of Classics in pop culture. I obtained a BA in Classics and History with a minor in Classical Archaeology from the University of Virginia (2005). My PhD is in Ancient History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2011). My book, Trade and Taboo: Disreputable Professionals in the Roman Mediterranean, is out now from University of Michigan Press (Fall, 2016) and looks at the lives of marginalized tradesmen like gravediggers and tanners. Follow me on Twitter @SarahEBond, read my Blog, or email me at sarah-bond@uiowa.edu. View all posts by sarahemilybond
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