Ancient Combative Sports

Facts

Discipline of Ancient Sports
Participants 1
NOCs 1
Competitions held 0 (Venues)
Distinct events 8

Description

There were three combative sports at the Ancient Olympic Games – wrestling, boxing, and pankration. Wrestling was first documented from 708 BCE with boys’ wrestling first known in 632 BCE. Boxing was first documented from 688 BCE with boys’ wrestling first known in 616 BCE, while the pankration was held first in 648 BCE, with a boys’ pankration contested in 380 BCE. Pankration was a mixture of boxing and wrestling, somewhat similar to modern mixed martial arts, and once described as “imperfect wrestling with imperfect boxing.”

All-time medal table

Ancient Olympic Games

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
Elis ELI 36 0 0 36
Alexandria ALX 18 0 0 18
Rhodes RHD 18 0 0 18
Sparta SPA 16 0 0 16
Athens ATH 14 0 0 14
Kroton KRT 10 0 0 10
Magnesia on the Maiandros MNM 10 0 0 10
Unknown UNK 10 0 0 10
Ephesus EPH 9 0 0 9
Miletus MIL 9 0 0 9
Aigion AIG 8 0 0 8
Messene MES 8 0 0 8
Mainalos MAI 7 0 0 7
Samos SMS 7 0 0 7
Smyrna SMY 7 0 0 7
Lepreon LEP 6 0 0 6
Manteneia MAN 6 0 0 6
Sikyon SIK 6 0 0 6
Thespiai THP 6 0 0 6
Antiochia on the Orontes ATO 5 0 0 5
Pellene PEL 5 0 0 5
Phoenicia PHN 5 0 0 5
Heraia HER 4 0 0 4
Phigaleia PGL 4 0 0 4
Sardis SAR 4 0 0 4
Syria (Antocheia) SRA 4 0 0 4
Unknown city in Lokria LOK 4 0 0 4
Argos AGS 3 0 0 3
Epidauros EDR 3 0 0 3
Kleitor KLT 3 0 0 3
Kolophon KOL 3 0 0 3
Korkyra KKY 3 0 0 3
Naxos NAX 3 0 0 3
Opous OPS 3 0 0 3
Pharsalos PHA 3 0 0 3
Seleukeia on the Tigris SLT 3 0 0 3
Stratonikeia STR 3 0 0 3
Thebes THB 3 0 0 3
Adana ADA 2 0 0 2
Anthedon ATD 2 0 0 2
Apamea-Myrleia APM 2 0 0 2
Erythrai ERY 2 0 0 2
Khios KHI 2 0 0 2
Lindos LIN 2 0 0 2
Parrhasia PRH 2 0 0 2
Patrai PAT 2 0 0 2
Salamis SAL 2 0 0 2
Sybaris SYB 2 0 0 2
Taranto TAR 2 0 0 2
Thasos THS 2 0 0 2
Tralles TRA 2 0 0 2
Unknown city in Arkadia ARK 2 0 0 2
Adramyttion ADR 1 0 0 1
Aigeira AGR 1 0 0 1
Aizanoi AIZ 1 0 0 1
Akarnan AKA 1 0 0 1
Akragas AKR 1 0 0 1
Andros ANS 1 0 0 1
Antikyra ATK 1 0 0 1
Armenia AMN 1 0 0 1
Astypalaia ATP 1 0 0 1
Barke BRK 1 0 0 1
Delphi DLP 1 0 0 1
Dipaia DIP 1 0 0 1
Halicarnassus HAL 1 0 0 1
Hermopolis HMP 1 0 0 1
Karian KAR 1 0 0 1
Karystos KRS 1 0 0 1
Kelonai KEL 1 0 0 1
Korinth KTH 1 0 0 1
Kos SKS 1 0 0 1
Kyparissia KPS 1 0 0 1
Kyrene KYR 1 0 0 1
Kyzikos KYZ 1 0 0 1
Laodikeia on the Lykos LDL 1 0 0 1
Maroneia MRN 1 0 0 1
Megara MEG 1 0 0 1
Mylasa MYL 1 0 0 1
Myra MYR 1 0 0 1
Mytilene MTL 1 0 0 1
Naukratis NKT 1 0 0 1
Oinoanda OIN 1 0 0 1
Orestheia ORS 1 0 0 1
Pergamon PGM 1 0 0 1
Philadelphia PLD 1 0 0 1
Sinope SIN 1 0 0 1
Siracusa SIR 1 0 0 1
Skotoussa SKO 1 0 0 1
Tenedos TND 1 0 0 1
Thessaly THL 1 0 0 1
Thourioi THR 1 0 0 1
Thyateira THY 1 0 0 1
Tiryns TIR 1 0 0 1
Tritaia TRT 1 0 0 1
Troizen TRZ 1 0 0 1
Unknown city in Crete KRE 1 0 0 1
Unknown city in Egypt EGP 1 0 0 1
Zakynthos ZAK 1 0 0 1

Most successful competitors

Ancient Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Milon KRT 7 0 0 7
Hipposthenes SPA 6 0 0 6
Hetoimokles SPA 5 0 0 5
Aurelius Helix PHN 4 0 0 4
Khairon PEL 4 0 0 4
Marcus Aurelius Asklepiades ALX 4 0 0 4
Stratonikos ALX 4 0 0 4
Arrikhion PGL 3 0 0 3
Astyanax MIL 3 0 0 3
Demokrates MNM 3 0 0 3
Dionysios SLT 3 0 0 3
Dorieus RHD 3 0 0 3
Euthymos LOK 3 0 0 3
Sostratos SIK 3 0 0 3
Tiberius Claudius Patrobius SRA 3 0 0 3
Tisandros NAX 3 0 0 3

Event types

Name Gender Still contested? Times held?
Unknown Event Men 6
Boxing Men 74
Pankration Men 86
Wrestling Men 81
Wrestling or Pankration Men 1
Boxing Boys 48
Wrestling Boys 42
Pankration Boys 17