Ancient Greece Competed Naked: How Technology Has Clothed Olympians Over Time DecathaLaw Series: Article 2

The exact origins of Olympians competing naked are unclear. Perhaps it began when Spartan runner Acanthus showed up to race without the traditional loincloth on.¹ Or it could have been when Orsippus of Megara won his 185-meter run after embracing a loincloth slip, insisting that a naked man could run faster than one impeded by such clothing.² Regardless, it is clear that our Olympian predecessors competed unclothed.

Historians cite naked Olympic contests as a tribute to the Greek God Zeus:³ athletes exhibited their muscular physiques to Zeus, simultaneously intimidating competitors.⁴ Because heroes like Hercules or Achilles were often depicted naked in art, competing naked also meant that Olympians might be compared to these "true" heroes.⁵