Ancient boxing had less regulations compared to the present-day sport.
Boxers in the past engaged in fights without rounds, and the fight would continue until one fighter was knocked out or conceded defeat. Unlike the current sport, there were no regulations prohibiting striking a downed opponent. Weight classes were non-existent in both the men’s and boys’ divisions, and opponents for matches were selected at random. Chariot races were held for both 2-horse and 4-horse chariots, as well as separate races for chariots pulled by foals.
Another competition involved carts pulled by a pair of mules. The track for this race was 12 laps around the stadium, equivalent to 9 miles. Additionally, there were separate races for both adult horses and their foals, with a course of 6 laps, or 4.5 miles. Notably, jockeys in these races rode without stirrups. In ancient Greece, the precision and rhythm displayed by an athlete while throwing the discus was deemed just as crucial as their physical strength. It is important to note that only affluent individuals were able to cover the costs associated with training, equipment, and provisions for both the driver (or jockey) and the horses.
Instead of the driver or jockey, the owner received the olive wreath of victory as a result of this grueling event, which combined boxing and wrestling. The fighters did not wrap their hands with the boxing himantes, but punches were allowed. The only prohibited actions were biting and gouging an opponent’s eyes, nose, or mouth with fingernails. Surprisingly, attacks like kicking an opponent in the belly were perfectly legal back then, even though they are against the rules in modern sports. In ancient Greece, the rhythm and precision with which an athlete threw the discus were considered as important as their strength.
The discus, which could be made of stone, iron, bronze, or lead, was shaped like a flying saucer. The sizes of the discus varied based on the division, with expectations that boys would not throw the same weight as men. The javelin, on the other hand, was a man-high length of wood with either a sharpened end or an attached metal point. To enhance the precision and distance of the javelin’s flight, it had a thong attached to its center of gravity for the hurler’s fingers. Athletes utilized lead or stone jump weights in the shape of telephone receivers, known as halteres, to increase the length of their jumps.
The athlete held the halteres in front of him as he climbed and then forcefully pushed them behind his back and released them as he descended to assist in propelling his body for a greater distance. There were four different types of races at Olympia. The stadion race, which was the oldest event, involved sprinting for a distance of 1 stade (192 m), equivalent to the length of the stadium. The other races included a 2-stade race (384 m) and a long-distance run that varied from 7 to 24 stades (1,344 m).
The Greeks had a variety of races, ranging from short sprints to long-distance races. One notable race involved athletes in armor running a distance of 2 to 4-stade (384 m. to 768 m.). This particular race was crucial for building the speed and stamina necessary for Greek men during their military service. Considering that the standard hoplite armor weighed around 50-60 lbs, it is not hard to visualize the intensity of this event.
Similar to modern sport, in this ancient form of competition an athlete had to throw their opponent to the ground, specifically on their hip, shoulder, or back, in order to achieve a fair fall. Victory required three successful throws. Biting and genital holds were not permitted, however, attacks such as breaking the opponent’s fingers were allowed.
