DOI: 10.1093/9780197852736.003.0039 ISSN:

Origins of Roman Sport: Greeks and Etruscans

Jean-Paul Thuillier

Summary

In the field of sports, the Romans borrowed more from the Etruscans than from the Greeks, as is clearly shown by Roman chariot racing, because the type of chariot (the triga), the costume of the charioteers, and their custom of tying the reins around their waists are all typically Etruscan. Likewise, Etruscans and Romans both favored boxing. Gladiatura, by comparison, has Osco-Lucanian, not Etruscan, origins.

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