Champion Boxer Kleomedes of Astypalaia

 

Readers of this blog know that most summers I travel to Astypalaia, but few know that I own a boxing gym back home in California. Today I will combine two of my favorite things and recount for you the story of the legendary boxer Kleomedes of Astypalaia.

Greeks were boxing as far back as 700BC according to historical accounts. It was a more brutal sport than it is today. Take the following into consideration. All fighters were naked except for the leather straps they used to wrap their hands. There were no weight classes, opponents were drawn by lot. No rounds or time limits of any kind existed, so the fight went on until one of the fighters gave up, was incapacitated or died. Breaking the rules, by eye gouging or strikes to the genitals, could result in a whipping by the referee. 

Historical accounts state that Kleomedes of Astypalaia fought in either the 71st or 72nd Olympiad, in 496 or 492 BC. By all accounts he was a fighter without equal, crushing all opponents. In this instance he killed his opponent Ikos of Epidarous. Killing the other fighter was not a foul, but the illegal strike Kleomedes used to defeat his opponent was.  Kleomedes was disqualified from the games and fined heavily for the infraction.

He returned to Astypalaia from Olympia in a rage about how he was treated by the judges. His anger sent him to the school house in Astypalaia, where he used his brute strength to pull a support pillar out from the ceiling. The structure collapsed, killing all of the children inside.

The Astypalaians were furious with Kleomedes for this hateful act, and attempted to stone him to death.

He escaped death by fleeing to the local temple to the goddess Athena where he hid in a magical chest. When the locals opened the chest, the boxer had vanished. Great consternation followed his disappearance, so the Oracle at Delphi was consulted to cast a clarifying light on the situation. Her answer was the following.

"Kleomedes of Astypalaia is the last of the heroes, honor him with sacrifices, since he is no longer an ordinary mortal". 

He was celebrated as a hero from that moment on.

More soon.