Sports life in the provincial cities of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 4th-6th centuries

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the sports life of provincial cities of the Byzantine Empire in the IV-VI centuries. Based on written and material sources it is proved that the sports life of the empire in the early Byzantine period was not limited to the Great Hippodrome of Constantinople. It is shown that hippodromes operated in all major cities of the empire, where competitions were held in the most popular sport - chariot racing. This sport was also an important “social elevator”, a way of labor migration from the province to the capital for talented charioteers and dancers. Sports games according to the Olympic program, the decline of which was previously associated with the end of the IV - beginning of the V century, in fact, continued to be held in Antioch until the beginning of the VI century, which makes this city the last keeper of the traditions of Olympism in the early Middle Ages. The great historical role of provincial “branches” of circus parties, both as powerful political and economic institutions and instigators of social unrest on a pan-imperial scale is noted. The unique precedent of the use of sports competitions in provincial Apamea by the Persian Shah Khosrow I as a military-political tool to assert an advantage over Justinian I has been studied. It is concluded that sports in provincial cities fell into decline at the beginning of the VII century due to the difficult military and economic situation of the empire. During the Macedonian Renaissance spectator sports in the provinces did not recover.

Keywords

• byzantium
• sports
• hippodrome
• olympic games
• circus parties
• antioch
• apamea