Boxing (Πυγμαχία, meaning “fighting with the fists”) in ancient Greece originated as a very tough sport, much harder than professional boxing as we know it today. There are archeological discoveries showing that the ancient Greeks held boxing matches as early as in the Minoan and Mycenaean...
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Boxing (Πυγμαχία, meaning “fighting with the fists”) in ancient Greece originated as a very tough sport, much harder than professional boxing as we know it today.
There are archeological discoveries showing that the ancient Greeks held boxing matches as early as in the Minoan and Mycenaean periods. There are numerous legends about the origins of boxing in Greece.
One of the most bizarre stories holds that the heroic ruler Theseus invented a form of boxing in which two men sat face to face and beat each other with their fists until one of them was killed. With time, however, boxers began to fight in a standing position, as we so often see them pictured on Ancient Greek pottery.
The boxing rules in the early days were draconian. No Marquess of Queensberry rules applied in those days. There were no weight categories, no rounds with intermediate breaks, no points, no victory or defeat on points, no interruption when the fighters began to bleed; nor of course, were there any gloves, and judges enforced the rules by hitting the offenders with a switch or whip (as seen above).
The winner was simply the boxer who knocked out his opponent or forced him to leave the match. In case of a match of especially long duration, with no clear winner, the brutal “scale” rule applied, with the agreement of both opponents.
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Ancient Greek boxers whose names went down in history
It is obvious that winning in such a sport required huge reserves of physical — and even mental — strength. Therefore, the few great boxers whose names have gone down in history were revered as superheroes.
The Spartan Ipposthenes was most likely the top boxer in ancient days in Greece, winning first place in five consecutive Olympic Games. This means that for 16 consecutive years he was boxing at the very highest level of this hard sport.
Diagoras of Rhodes, a one-time Olympic winner, four-time winner in Isthmia and two in Nemea, was over two meters (6 feet 6 inches) tall and boxed without twisting aside or ducking, making no effort to avoid his opponent. On the contrary, he went straight at his unfortunate competitors. Everyone admired this giant of a man who was known to have combined power with great personal virtue.
