Read the two excerpts from the two sections about wrestling in The Ancient City.
Both excerpts suggest that
is an
important detail in Greek wrestling.
The boys had to break up the earth to soften it before
wrestling. The object of the sport was to throw one's
opponent to the ground.
After exercising, the boys went to the bath house to
clean up. Each boy had a strigil, a metal scraper to
remove the oil and dust, and also a sponge to wash
down. No gymnasium has been fully excavated in
Athens.
The contestants for both styles of wrestling rubbed
themselves down with oil and sprinkled fine sand over
their bodies before a fight. The ground had to be
carefully prepared for wrestling. There are innumerable
vase paintings showing athletes with the picks they