Representations of the Palaestra on Attic Vases of the Archaic and Classical period – a reassessment of the sources

The origin of Greek sporting facilities of antiquity is not certain. No architectural ensemble of these facilities has been found that dates earlier than in the 4th century BC. Clues acquired from literature, however, indicate that they already existed during the Archaic period. Writers which refers to the 6th century BC such as Herodotus and Aischines verify their existence. The aim of my paper is to show the possibilities and limits to fill this gap of 200 years by illuminating the physical form of Greek athletic architecture through the evidence provided by Attic vase painting.