Olympic Fraud in Antiquity. Olympics in Antiquity

Contrary to what many come to imagine, the Olympic games of antiquity did not just involve a celebration of the gods worshiped by the Greeks. Exhaustive training, balanced nutrition and athlete remuneration were already common practices in games played in Greece. Over time, the competition conferred prestige and power on the winning city-states, which began to sponsor the athletes who would compete in the games.

Interestingly, even the purchase of the “pass” for certain athletes was made by the city-states. In the year 580 a. C., the Greek legislator Solon stipulated a law by which the Olympic winners would be entitled to a prize of approximately 500 drachmas. The amount was enough, for example, to acquire a considerable herd of sheep. In addition to the prize, Olympic champions enjoyed other perks, such as tax exemption.

Over time, the competitive spirit of other city-states impelled them to take measures similar to those adopted by the Athenians. In addition to inciting the dispute, the competitive spirit ended up losing place to the financial interest. Some athletes, interested in a more pompous prize, even sold themselves to compete for others city-states and athletes began to be trained and sifted thanks to the action of perceptive teachers of PE.

In the year 388 a. C., the Cretan athlete Sotades – who had won the last Olympic daulicho race competition – accepted to compete for the city of Ephesus. The Cretans were unhappy with Sotades' attitude and, therefore, decided to punish him with exile. The athlete Astilo de Crotona, one of the most victorious city-states in Ancient Greece, competed in the Olympics of 492 BC. Ç. through the city of Syracuse.

Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)

These would be some of the cases where sportsmanship lost space to material interest. At the XCVIII Olympiad, boxer Eupolos bribed three of his opponents to win the competition. The Senate of the city of Olímpia decided to punish corrupt athletes with a cash fine. With the funds raised, statues were built in honor of Zeus, and in one of them the following sayings: “It is not with money, but with fast legs and a robust body that the victory of Olympia”.

All these cases of corruption undermine the ideal that the Greek peoples were honorable and competed only for glory and recognition. These historical characters did not live in a time when interest and corruption were radically subordinated to incorruptible moral values. Thus, as today, vanity and self-interest were issues present in the Olympics disputed in Ancient Greece.

By Rainer Sousa
Master in History

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "Olympic Fraud in Antiquity"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/educacao-fisica/fraudes-olimpicas-na-antiguidade.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.