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Ancient bas-relief on grave stele in Kerameikos in Athens, Greece depicting two wrestlers in action.	Source: National Archaeological Museum of Athens/ CC BY-SA 2.0 DE

From Ancient Greece to Now: the Bravado of Athletes Transcends Centuries

Peter J. Miller /The Conversation “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I was really the greatest.” This quote...
Arrichion of Phigalia was actually dead when he was declared the winner of the 564 BC Olympics after a pankration battle. The pankration scene on this kylix depicts a pankratists trying to gouge out his opponent’s eye. Source: Public domain

Arrichion of Phigalia Won the Olympics When He Was Already Dead

One of the prerequisites for winning at the Olympics is to actually be alive. Or so I thought! The story of Arrichion of Phigalia, an Olympic wreath winner famed for his post-mortem victory, is one...
Modern depiction (1876) by Jean Léon Gérôme of a chariot race in Rome's Circus Maximus (Public Domain)

Top Roman Charioteer Was Worth More than Cristiano Ronaldo!

In 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time FIFA player of the year became the first team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings. It is hard to imagine anyone topping that, but in the...
The Bodhisattva Gautama (Buddha-to-be) undertaking extreme asceticism before his enlightenment.

Asceticism Across the Faiths: Many People in the Major World Religions Have Done it

Asceticism is a way of life marked by the voluntary abstinence from worldly pleasures. This way of life is most often associated with religion and spirituality, and its practitioners usually aim to...
 Three runners. Side B of an Attic black-figured Panathenaic prize amphora (Marie-Lan Nguyen/CC BY 2.5) ) and detail of a statue of a Greek runner by Sir William Blake Richmond, in St Peter's Square, Hammersmith, London. (CC BY SA 3.0)

The Greatest Runner You Have Never Heard Of: The Other Famous Greek Leonidas

Thanks to Zack Snyder’s 2007 fantasy historical film, 300 , the Battle of Thermopylae has become one of the most famous battles in history, while the name Leonidas is now synonymous with the...
The statue of a seated Zeus at Olympia.

Unleashing The Power of the Gods: Hexes and Black Magic in the Ancient Greek Olympics

When the ancient Olympics began, the greatest athletes in Greece gathered before a statue of Zeus Horkios, the god of oaths. Laid before its feet would be the freshly cut meat of a boar sacrificed by...
The Chariot race. Cynisca was a Spartan princess and the first women to win the chariot race in the ancient Olympic Games.

How Did She Do It? Cynisca, a Spartan Princess Who Won the Ancient Olympic Games

Since the beginning of time, women have liked to surprise men with their extraordinary power, strength, and skills. Few are shocked by female success in these areas nowadays, but in ancient times...
Theagenes of Thasos: From Legendary Olympic Fighter to God-Healer

Theagenes of Thasos: From Legendary Olympic Fighter to God-Healer

Theagenes was born in Thasos around 500 BC (or 505 BC according to some sources) and was meant to become one of the most dominant and famous competitive fighters that ever lived. His impact while...
Detail from Chariot Race by Jean-Leon Gerome

Gaius Appuleius Diocles, The $15 Billion Athlete of the Ancient World

There is much discussion about today’s highly paid athletes, be they football stars or Olympic competitors. According to Forbes, the top five highest-paid athletes in 2016 were Cristiano Ronaldo ($88...
A tomb of athletes at Taranto. Inset: The skeleton of the ancient athlete found at Taranto

2,500-Year-Old Skeleton is Oldest Known Remains of a Panathenaic Athlete

In ancient Greece, successful athletes were rich and celebrated like they are today. Evidence for this comes in the form of the oldest known skeleton of a young athlete, buried with rich honors at...