Greek wrestling, also known as Ancient Greek wrestling and Pále (πάλη), was the most popular organized sport in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...

. A point was scored when one player touched the ground with his back,hip,shoulder,or tapped out due to a submission-hold or was forced out of the wrestling-area. Three points had to be scored to win the match.

One particularly important position in this form of wrestling was one where one of the contestants was lying on his belly with the other on his back trying to strangle him. The athlete on the bottom would try to grasp an arm of the one on top and turn him over onto his back while the athlete on top would try to complete the choke without being rolled.

Role in ancient Olympics

Wrestling was the first competition to be added to the Olympic Games that was not a footrace. It was added in 700 B.C. (Miller, 46). During the competitions, the competitions were elimination tournament format until one wrestler could be crowned the victor. This event was also part of the pentathlon. Wrestling was regarded as the best expression of strength out of all of the competitions and was represented in Greek mythology by Herakles.

Famous wrestlers from antiquity

Milo of Croton

Milo of Croton

Milo of Croton was a 6th century BC wrestler from the Magna Graecian city of Croton in southern Italy who enjoyed a brilliant wrestling career and won many victories in the most important athletic festivals of ancient Greece...

 was one of the most famous wrestlers from this ancient time period. At one set of games, no one challenged him, but as he walked to the skamma he slipped and fell and was harassed by the crowd as they claimed he shouldn't be crowned because he fell. He contested he should be because he had only fallen once, two short of the required three times (Martin, 50). Leontiskos of Messene was also a noted champion. He was not known for his good wrestling skills, but for his superior finger bending skills. He was able to bend right up to the point of disqualification and won two championships with this technique (Martin, 50).

Rules

These are the rules of the ancient sport Pale according to the latest research of Christopher Miller, a Secondary School teacher of Latin, Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

, Canada. The research was prepared under the supervision of Dr. Nigel Crowther of the University of Western Ontario

University of Western Ontario

The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...

.

• No intentional hitting or kicking is permitted
• No gouging the eyes or biting is permitted, since even the Pankration
  Pankration
  Pankration was a martial art introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and founded as a blend of boxing and wrestling but without any rules. The term comes from the Greek , literally meaning "all powers" from "all" + "strength, power". Spartans were taught to use this ancient...
  
   does not allow these
• It is at the discretion of the holders of the games whether or not twisting the fingers with the intention of forcing the opponent to concede defeat is permitted
• Grasping the genitals is not permitted
• All other holds intended to persuade the opponent to concede defeat through pain or fear are permitted and are an integral part of the contest
• Infractions shall be punished by immediate whipping by the referee until the undesirable behaviour is stopped
• Three points must be scored to win the match
• A point can be scored in any of three ways:
  1. the opponent’s back touching the ground at any time
  2. by the opponent tapping or in some other way making clear that he concedes defeat through pain or fear
  3. by the opponent making contact with ground outside the allocated wrestling-match ground with any part of his body, or by being lifted and carried out
• After scoring a point, the opponent must be given time to rise on his feet and a few moments more before the wrestling may continue
• The match is both started and ended at the signal of the referee
• The referee can at any time stop the match if he believes a point has been scored but the contestants have continued to wrestle unaware of the point having been scored
• The referee or other officials in charge of the contest, if other officials are presiding, shall resolve any dispute the contestants have over scoring, and their decision shall be final
• The wrestling-ground shall be a large square, 28.5 by 28.5 metres (a PLETHRON
  Plethron
  Plethron is a measurement used in Ancient times, equal to 100 Greek feet . It was roughly the width of a typical athletic running-track, and was used as the standard width and length of a Wrestling square, since wrestling competitions were held on the racing track in early times.A plethron is...
  
  : 100 Greek Feet, the typical width of a running-track), or any other size determined by the holders of the games, and it shall be all of sand or earth
• The contestants shall begin the match at the center of the wrestling-ground outside of each other’s touching-range, the precise distance being at the discretion of the referee
• All other more specific details are at the discretion of the officials presiding over the games
• The wrestling took place in an area known as the skamma, or "dug up place" (Miller, 49).

See also

• Wrestling
  Wrestling
  Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
  
  
• Greco-Roman wrestling
  Greco-Roman wrestling
  Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
  
  
• Pankration
  Pankration
  Pankration was a martial art introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and founded as a blend of boxing and wrestling but without any rules. The term comes from the Greek , literally meaning "all powers" from "all" + "strength, power". Spartans were taught to use this ancient...
  
  
• Yağlı güreş
  Yagli güres
  Oil wrestling , also called grease wrestling, is the Turkish national sport. It is so called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil. It is related to the Uzbeki kurash, Tuvan khuresh and Tatar köräş...
  
  , Turkish oil wrestling
• P.Oxy. III 466
  P.Oxy. III 466
  Papyrus Oxyrhynchus III 466 is a fragmentary 2nd century Greek papyrus manuscript containing instructions for wrestling, including the description of various grips and holds, constituting the earliest European martial arts manual...
  
  , ancient manuscript containing instructions for wrestling

External links

• Greek Wrestling Research Article