Haptic Reading: Verse and Prose Inscriptions on Jumping Weights and Discuses

ABSTRACT: This article examines inscriptions in prose and verse on dedications of athletic equipment from pentathlon competitions, specifically jumping weights and discuses from the Archaic and Early Classical periods. By paying close attention to the layout of inscriptions and contextualizing these sorts of dedications in light of literary evocations of athletic objects, this article argues that handling and moving an athletic dedication added significantly to the meaning and potency of the inscription.