One of the Deadliest Wrestling Type: Pankration

Ancient Greece gave rise to a deadly Martial Art form which is known as Pankration. It was one of the most popular combat sports in ancient Greece. The form combined wrestling and boxing which were two sports of antiquity. Kicking was allowed as well.

Pankration got its name from ancient Greek words. The word means that the winner of the game was the one who had complete power and control of his enemies. People who participate in this were called pankratiasts. Polydamas of Skotoussa and Theagenes of Thasos were the most dominant and recognized Olympic Champions in antiquity. The sport got first introduced at the thirty-third Olympics in 648 BC. As it was a very diverse and exciting sport, it impressed the crowds instantly. Many a times the sport could prove itself extremely dangerous for the pankratiasts.

Therefore, most of the Greek city-states became sophisticated and civilized. The men’s pankration slowly got replaced by pankration for boys and the newer version was less intense than the previous one. The newer version officially entered the Games in 200 BC.

By: Bhavna Sharma

Content: www.ancient-origins.net