Leonidas of Rhodes

For other uses, see Leonidas (disambiguation).

Leonidas of Rhodes (Ancient Greek: Λεωνίδας ὁ Ῥόδιος; born 188 BC) was one of the most famous ancient Olympic runners.^[1] For four consecutive Olympiads (164–152 BC), he was champion of three foot races.^[2] He was hailed with the title "Triastes" (tripler).^[3] Leonidas is acclaimed by some to be one of the greatest sprinters of all time.

Leonidas of Rhodes

Personal information
Born	188 BC Rhodes
Sport
Event(s)	Stadion, Diaulos, and Hoplitodromos
Medal record Ancient Greek Olympics Representing Rhodes Olympic Games 164 BC Olympia Stadion 164 BC Olympia Diaulos 164 BC Olympia Hoplitodromos 160 BC Olympia Stadion 160 BC Olympia Diaulos 160 BC Olympia Hoplitodromos 156 BC Olympia Stadion 156 BC Olympia Diaulos 156 BC Olympia Hoplitodromos 152 BC Olympia Stadion 152 BC Olympia Diaulos 152 BC Olympia Hoplitodromos

Olympic career

Competing in the Olympic Games of the 154th Olympiad in 164 BC, the last of the "golden age" of the ancient Games,^[4] Leonidas captured the crown in three separate foot races: the stadion, the diaulos, and the hoplitodromos. He repeated this feat in the three subsequent Olympics, in 160 BC, in 156 BC, and finally in 152 BC at the age of 36. Leonidas's lifetime record of twelve individual Olympic victory wreaths was unmatched in the ancient world.^[5][6][7] His record was broken in 2016 CE by swimmer Michael Phelps.^[8]

His number of victories are a testament to his versatility as a runner. Philostratus the Athenian wrote in his Gymnastikos that Leonidas made all previous theories of runners' training and body types obsolete.^[9] The stadion and the diaulos, foot races of some 200 and 400 meters respectively, were best suited to sprinters, while the hoplitodromos (a diaulos performed with bronze armor and shield) required more muscular strength and endurance.

References

1. Lahanas, Michael. "Famous Ancient Greek Athletes". Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
2. "Olympic Games - Winter Summer Past and Future Olympics".
3. Miller, Stephen G. (1 January 2004). Ancient Greek Athletics. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300115291 – via Google Books.
4. Lynch, James (18 November 2015). The Ancient Olympiads: 776 BC to 393 AD. Warwick Press Inc. ISBN 9781987944006 – via Google Books.
5. Findling, John E.; Pelle, Kimberly D. (2004). Encyclopedia of the Modern Olympic Movement. Greenwood Press. pp. xxxv. ISBN 978-0-313-32278-5.
6. "Greatest Ancient Olympians - The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games - Penn Museum".
7. Society, The Biblical Archaeology (24 August 2015). "The 12 Greatest Ancient Olympians - The BAS Library".
8. Baldwin, Alan (August 10, 2016). "Swimming: Move over Leonidas, here comes Michael Phelps". Reuters. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
9. Philostratus II. Gymnastikos. p. 33.