Living the Greek Way

This chapter moves its attention to the activities performed on the premises of the gymnasia of Egypt, in order to get a sense of the institution’s daily life, which represented the result of a common feeling of shared traditions by its members and contributed to the perpetuation of such feeling. Attention is devoted to the physical activities performed in the gymnasia, including games and athletic contests, as well as to the religious events which the gymnasium’s members set up. The gymnasium was the favourite setting for athletic training and for other cultural endeavours, aimed at intellectual entertainment, display of cultural prowess, competition, socializing, bonding, and networking; the gymnasium was not a place devoted to education proper. A short excursus provides an overview of athletics in Egypt. The final section of the chapter focuses on the presence, character, and role of private associations housed in gymnasia.