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Drugs, Cheating Were Part Of Original Olympics Too


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Interesting article about the ancient olympic games.

 

The first recorded incident of actual cheating occurred in 388 B.C., when the boxer Eupolus of Thessaly bribed three opponents to take a dive.

 

Olympic corruption peaked under Roman influence; in A.D. 67, emperor Nero bribed the judges to include poetry reading as an event. They also declared him the chariot champion, overlooking that he fell out and never finished the race.

 

Others were induced to swap allegiance, often at the risk of exile from their homelands. The city-state of Syracuse was as notorious as New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in its quest for free agents that would bring religious favor and glory. When Syracuse induced sprint champion Astylos to quit Kroton in southern Italy, fans in his hometown tore down his statue and turned his house into a prison.

 

It seems we haven't changed all that much since then! :lol:

 

full article at Starbanner.com

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