Ancient Greece Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

The Boxer of Quirinal

Posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2018 by John Wood

Many of the early physique stars aspired to emulate the classical lines of the Greek and Roman statues.

Here’s a great example, The Boxer of Quirinal, a Hellenistic Greek sculpture from the first century BC. This famous work of art shows an ancient warrior seated, likely resting after a match. This fellow certainly earned his bread, with scars and bruises inlaid with copper adding to the detail. Also of note is the Cestus, which are the leather wraps covering the knuckles of each hand. These were more for increasing knockout power than protection.

De Arte Gymnastica by Hieronimus Mercurialis

Posted on Saturday, February 17th, 2018 by John Wood

It doesn’t get any more “Old School” than De Arte Gymnastica by Hieronimus Mercurialis. Published in 1569, this is the oldest book ever written on physical training. It describes exercises as practiced by the classical Greeks and Romans: the value of walking, throwing the discus, climbing ropes, training with heavy balls (i.e. Medicine Balls) and, as seen in the wood cut above, dumbbells and heavy stone tablets called “plummets” — history’s first odd object lifting!

Stone Lifting in Ancient Greece

Posted on Monday, November 28th, 2016 by John Wood

Every ancient culture has evidence of stone lifting as a method of physical preparation. The Ancient Greeks, for example, often portrayed stone lifting and other athletic events on their pottery.

This image adorned a vase and dates to about 450BC and shows a young man lifting a smaller stone in either hand. It is said that this image shows the “weightlifting” event at the very first Olympic games, stones weighing as much as 300 lbs. were said to have been used in the contest.

Milo of Crotona

Posted on Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 by John Wood

Milo of Crotona, who lived during the 6th century B.C., was the greatest of the ancient Greek Athletes.

He was a six-time wrestling Champion in the ancient Olympic Games and his strength was legendary.

Milo built his strength with an unusual method: Each day he would carry a new-born calf and, as the calf grew larger, so did Milo’s strength.

Eventually Milo was able to carry a full-grown bull the length of the stadium. The stamp above features Milo holding apart a split tree and was created in honor of the 1924 Olympic Games, held in Paris, France (where Charles Rigoulot won the heavyweight-class gold medal.)