Running in Ancient Greece

Euphiletos Painter Panathenaic prize amphora depicting a running race, Metropolitan Museum of Art

In Ancient Greece, the history of running can be traced back to 776 BC. Running was important to members of ancient Greek society, and is consistently highlighted in documents referencing the Ancient Olympic Games. The stadion, for example, was so important that "[t]he Olympiad would be named after the victor, and since history itself was dated by the Games, it was he who thus gained the purest dose of immortality."[1] The Olympic Games hosted a large variety of running events, each with its own set of rules. The ancient Greeks developed difficult training programs with specialized trainers in preparation for the Games.[2] The training and competitive attitude of Greek athletes gives insight into how scientifically advanced Greece was for the time period.

The people of Greece generally enjoyed sporting events, particularly foot racing,[3] and wealthy admirers would often give large gifts to successful athletes.[4] Though foot races were physically challenging, if successful, athletes could become very wealthy.[5] The ancient Greeks developed running as a sport into a sophisticated field of science and philosophy.[citation needed]

In the ancient sources, training is often discussed. However, details about how the training of runners compared to the training of other types of athletes are not clearly addressed. In ancient Greece, athletes might not have been as specialized as they are today.[6] It is likely that a single athlete would have trained for, and competed in, many different events resulting in less distinction being drawn between training for different events.[7] Many philosophers had ideas about how athletes should train, which provides historians with numerous insights. For example, Plato argued that the whole body should be trained to increase strength and speed for running and wrestling (Stefanović et al. 113). The lengths and types of foot races are widely written. Also discussed in a variety of sources is the use of music in athletic training and the diet of athletes. Professional runners known as "hēmerodromoi", the messengers who were informational lifeline of an empire. They were running across rugged terrains and paths to convey vital information in battles. [8]

  1. ^ Tony Perrottet, The Naked Olympics, (2009) p.145. Perrottet notes that Greek historians referred to a date that we would call 457 B.C. as "the third year of the Eighteenth Olympiad, when Ladas of Argos won the stadion." Id.
  2. ^ Regarding training in general, see Perrottet, n.1 above at 31-34, & M.I. Finley & H.W. Pleket, The Olympic Games: The First Thousand Years (1976) pp.88-97.
  3. ^ Perrottet, n.1 above at 18-20. "As if it weren't enough for the ancient Greeks to have established the foundations of Western philosophy, geometry, drama, art, and science, we can also thank them for creating our modern passion for sport." Id. at 18. "The Greeks held races . . . at weddings and funerals. Id. at 20.
  4. ^ Perrottet, n.1 above at 52.
  5. ^ Id. at 53-54.
  6. ^ "The ancient athlete: amateur or professional?". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  7. ^ "The ancient athlete: amateur or professional?". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  8. ^ "Day Runners of Ancient Greece, Heroes of Communication". www.sportsgearmag.com. Retrieved 2023-09-11.