On July 31, 1976, as the Summer Olympics unfolded in Montreal under the shadow of financial crisis and political discord, Greek Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis advanced one of the most ambitious proposals in the history of the modern Olympic...
Ancient Greek athlete Coroebus of Elis was the first recorded Olympic Games winner in the 192-meter (630-feet) footrace in faraway 776 BC.
Coroebus was a cook, baker, and athlete from Elis. He won the stadion race, (or stade race), the...
A relief exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece shows an ancient Greek youth practicing by balancing a football on his thigh in front of a small boy. This means that football, albeit in a primitive form,...
The Ancient Greeks were active travelers, despite the dangers of land travel and the fear of highwaymen. Sea travel required ample supplies and means.
A fascinating archaeological find exhibited in the Agora Museum in Athens is rectangular clay tablets with...
The Olympic Games is undoubtedly the most famous sports festival of ancient Greece. Similarly, the Iliad is the most famous work of literature from that nation. However, while both of them are well known individually, what is not so well...
A long-vanished lake once shaped the landscape of ancient Olympia (Greek: Ολυμπία), the birthplace of the Olympic Games and one of Greece’s most sacred sanctuaries. Researchers say this lost lake was central to the city’s daily life and rituals, providing...
Ancient Greek weightlifter Bybon went down in history for the feat of lifting a 316-pound stone. In Ancient Greece, strength was greatly appreciated as a physical attribute.
Weightlifting was common among ancient Greeks, since their culture celebrated strength. Soldiers trained...
In a significant policy shift, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Thursday that only biological female athletes will be allowed to compete in women’s events at the Olympic Games under a new rule mandating a one-time gene-screening test.
As part...
Pankration was one of ancient Greece’s most revered sports in the same way that millions of people love MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) today. It was an embodiment of the ancient Greek ideal of excellence, which was known in Greek...
