Ertan Sehit, M.A.

With the research project to be carried out within the framework of the doctoral thesis, it is
aimed to examine the works of agonistic athletics in Asia Minor in the light of archaeological,
epigraphic and ancient sources. The main subject of the research project is to find
comprehensive answers to the questions of the descriptions of the works, classification and
dating of the works according to their types, the place and importance of the agonistic elements
in the society, how they reflect on the depicted works, the connections between the depictions
and the games, and what these works mean for the society. The study includes all works
depicting agonistic athletics found in Asia Minor. Typological, chronological and stylistic
evaluation of archaeological data will also be carried out within the scope of the research. Not
only the depicted works in Asia Minor, but also the works depicting agonistic athletics in different
geographies such as North Africa, Italy and Greece will be compared typologically and
stylistically and will be included in the scope of the research in order to reveal the relationships
established, if any. It is aimed to find answers to questions such as distribution of depicted
elements in Asia Minor, stylistic distinction, chronological development, social and economic
effects, preferred depiction elements and where the works are exhibited more frequently in cities
by making cross-references from the obtained findings. In the studies conducted for Asia Minor
so far, the fact that the subject has not been comprehensively evaluated as a whole and on the
basis of a single study covering different geographies, different species and different periods has
led to the fact that the results of the subject as a whole have not been revealed until now. It is
especially important that the study will be based on archaeological data. Since all works
depicting agonistic athletics will be evaluated in the study to be carried out, more precise results
can be obtained. The fact that agonistic festivals were much more popular, especially in the
Roman Imperial Period, should have been reflected in the depicted works and these works have
an important meaning for the society.