Ancient Greek Games: Combat and Competition Rules

Combat Victory Conditions

Victory was achieved by knocking out your opponent or if the other person decided to quit (abandonar). However, quitting was often seen as a terrible decision because you were representing more than just yourself; your family could be seen as cowards forever.

Draw Condition: Klimax

A draw (empatar) was not possible under normal circumstances. But sometimes fighters were too exhausted to achieve a Knockout (KO). If this occurred, the referee indicated a "Klimax".

• Klimax: Two fighters stood one in front of the other. One fighter, standing with his hands behind his back, reserved a hit starting from the hip line. This hit could not be avoided or stopped.
• If you stood up, it became your turn until the end, when only one remained standing.
• Fighters did not wear gloves, but they received a 1-meter long piece of leather to wrap around one or both fists.

Pancracio Rules

Pancracio was a brutal event with specific restrictions:

• Biting your opponent was permitted.
• You could not insert your fingers or hands into your opponent's mouth or nose.
• You could not gouge out your opponent's eyes.

It was frequent for one or even both opponents to die. Choking was allowed.

Horse Riding: Chariot Races

Competitions took place in the hippodrome. The most popular race involved the chariot race (6 laps of the hippodrome).

Chariot Details

• A chariot was driven by an avriga (driver) controlling four horses aligned in the same row.
• The avriga wore a whip to stimulate his horses and could hit other aurigas (drivers).
• The driver could push other chariots and choose the path for the rest of the chariots, but he could not touch the other horses.
• The winner was not the auriga, but the owner of the horses who paid the auriga.

Pentathlon Disciplines

The Pentathlon was the most famous event, consisting of 5 different tests (sports disciplines):

1. Greek fights
2. Discus throwing
3. Javelin throwing
4. Jumps
5. Races

The Seventh Day Ceremony

The seventh day was the last day of the games when winners were named and crowned. They received prizes and a crown made from an olive tree bush.

• The bushes had to be cut by a 12-year-old child whose parents were Greek and free, using a gold sickle.
• After this ceremony, the Ekecheiri (sacred truce) lasted for one more week.

The Modern Age Revival

In 1896, a Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, decided to bring back the original games (OG) as a way to solve social conflicts through sport:

Modern Olympic Motto

The 1900 Olympic Games were held in Paris. The motto adopted was: Citius – Altius – Fortius (Faster – Higher – Stronger).