The 20 Greatest Athletes of Antiquity

This legendary wrestler from the 6th century B.C. was undoubtedly the strongest man of antiquity. He won six Olympic titles and was renowned for his incredible feats of strength, such as carrying a bull on his shoulders. You’ve probably heard about his immense appetite and his ability to hold a pomegranate so firmly that no one could pry it from his grasp, while handling it with such delicacy that he didn’t damage the fruit.

Before Phelps broke the record for the most individual Olympic titles, Leonidas had held that record for more than 2,000 years. Leonidas won three races at four consecutive Olympic Games, earning him the title of “Triastes,” meaning “three-time winner.” The fact that he dominated 12 different sprint events throughout his career is truly impressive to us today.

If today’s professional soccer players don’t seem rich enough to you, here’s the story of the richest athlete of all time. Appuleius Diocles was a Roman charioteer who competed professionally for twenty-four years. During that time, he won more than a thousand races and became incredibly wealthy.

The daughter of a Spartan king, Cynisca broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to win an Olympic medal. Although women were not allowed to compete directly in the Games, she entered her horses in the chariot races and won the four-horse event twice. She proved to the entire Greek world that success in equestrian sports was a matter of talent.

This boxer was known for his “fair play” style, as he never dodged blows but instead went on the offensive against his opponents. He won the Olympic gold medal in 464 B.C. and lived long enough to see his sons and grandsons become champions as well. There is a touching anecdote that he was carried across the stadium on his sons’ shoulders after they had won their own victories.

Legend has it that this colossus began his athletic career at the age of nine by tearing a bronze statue from its pedestal and carrying it home. He later became a champion in boxing and pankration, a brutal blend of wrestling and hand-to-hand combat. During various Greek festivals, he is said to have won more than 1,400 wreaths.

Polydamas was another pankration fighter so muscular and imposing that he was compared to Hercules. He defeated a lion with his bare hands, and one day he ran after a chariot racing at full speed and stopped it by clinging to the back. He met his death while trying to prop up the roof of a cave for miners; it collapsed on top of him.

Melankomas was an undefeated boxer who, according to legend, never threw or received a single punch during his victories. He is known for wearing down his opponents by circling them until they collapsed from exhaustion. One can’t help but admire a fighter capable of winning a combat sport through endurance alone.

Astylos was a renowned runner who won titles at three consecutive Olympic Games in the 5th century B.C. He caused a huge scandal when he switched allegiances from Croton to Syracuse to curry favor with a local tyrant. Fans in his hometown were so furious that they tore down his statue.

Although Chionis’s long jump is not listed in his profile at the Ancient Games, it should be. He is credited with a jump of more than seven meters, achieved while wearing spiked shoes of the time. This sprinter dominated his discipline for nearly a decade in the 7th century B.C.

Arrichion’s final victory is undoubtedly the most spectacular in the history of pankration. While caught in a chokehold, he managed to dislocate his opponent’s toe, forcing him to give up just as Arrichion was breathing his last. He was declared the winner posthumously.

Varazdat was one of the last recorded champions of the ancient Olympic Games before they were abolished by the Romans. He won the boxing competition in the 360s A.D. and later became king of Armenia. The ancient Games once served as a springboard for many political careers.

After being disqualified from a boxing match for accidentally killing his opponent, Kleomedes is said to have flown into a rage and demolished a school building. Despite his hot temper, he was later revered as a hero in his hometown after mysteriously disappearing from a stone chest. It is certainly a strange story.

This wrestler from the late Roman era remained undefeated for six years. He was so dominant that he eventually retired because no one wanted to step into the ring to face him anymore. It’s rare to see athletes end their careers simply because they have no one left to beat.

Although he was a powerful ruler, Hiero was also passionate about horse racing and won several Olympic titles with his prized racehorses. He is particularly known for commissioning the poet Pindar to write odes celebrating his victories, thereby ensuring that his athletic legacy would be immortalized in literature. His involvement illustrates how the elite used the Games to display their wealth and competitive spirit.

Any list of the greatest must include the man who started it all by winning the very first Olympic race in 776 B.C. Koroibos was a humble baker, but his victory in the “stadium” sprint made him the first sports hero in human history. He hadn’t undergone any sophisticated training, but his speed paved the way for all the athletes who followed him.

Unknown. Currently housed at the Basel Museum of Antiquities and the Ludwig Collection. Inventory number KA 425 (number 205075 in the Beazley Archive Pottery Database)

This chariot racer was the darling of the Roman public and won more than 2,000 races before dying in an accident at the age of twenty-seven. The famous poet Martial wrote about how the city mourned the loss of such a dynamic and successful young star. His career, brief but dazzling, reminds us that the dangers of ancient sports were very real.

Timasitheus was known for competing in the famous pankration and was as fierce in battle as he was in competition. He won several events at the Olympic Games and the Pythian Games before dying while leading a rebellion in Athens. He perfectly embodies the athlete devoted to his city.

This wrestler was nicknamed “Finger-man” because he would grab his opponents’ fingers and bend them backward until they gave up. Even though it wasn’t the most elegant technique, it helped him win three consecutive Olympic titles. Find your niche and make your mark.

Belistiche was a high-ranking Macedonian woman who had become a professional charioteer. She won Olympic races in the 3rd century B.C., and rumor has it that she had ties to the Egyptian royal family. The greatest athletes have always included women of great strength.