"Kynodesme A kynodesmē (, English translation: ""dog tie"") was a cord or string or sometimes a leather strip that was worn by some athletes in Ancient Greece and Etruria to prevent the exposure of the glans penis in public. It was tied tightly around the ""akroposthion"", the part of the foreskin that extended beyond the glans. The kynodesme was worn temporarily while in public and could be taken off and put back on at will. It could either be attached to a waist band to expose the scrotum, or tied to the base of the penis so that the penis"
"is first alluded to in literature in the 5th century BC, in the partially preserved satyr play ""Theoroi "" by Aeschylus. There is earlier evidence from the images of athletes on Ancient Greek pottery. The Kynodesme was also used by the Etruscans and Romans who called it a ligatura praeputii. The Romans however preferred to use a ring, rather than a band, to conceal the glans known as a fibula. Kynodesme A kynodesmē (, English translation: ""dog tie"") was a cord or string or sometimes a leather strip that was worn by some athletes in Ancient Greece and Etruria to"
"damage, prolonged micturition, urinary incontinence, inability to get pregnant, difficulty giving birth, obstetric fistula and fatal bleeding. Infibulation also referred to placing a clasp through the male foreskin. In ancient Greece, male athletes, singers and other public performers used a clasp or string to close the foreskin and draw the penis over to one side, in a practice known as ""kynodesmē"" (literally ""dog tie""). In Rome a fibula was often a type of ring used similarly to a kynodesme. This was seen as a sign of restraint and abstinence, but was also related to concerns of modesty; in artistic representations,"
"from the 5th to 3rd century BCE. As worn by soldiers, it could be wrapped around the arm and used as a light shield in combat. The basic outer garment during winter was the himation, a larger cloak worn over the peplos or chlamys. The himation has been most influential perhaps on later fashion. During Classical times in Greece, male nudity received a religious sanction following profound changes in the culture. After that time, male athletes participated in ritualized athletic competitions such as the classical version of the ancient Olympic Games, in the nude as women became barred from the"
"is just an artistic convention, finding it unbelievable that anybody would have run naked. This view could be ascribed to late-Victorian prudishness applied anachronistically to ancient times. Other cultures in antiquity did not practice athletic nudity and condemned the Greek practice. Their rejection of naked sports was in turn condemned by the Greeks as a token of tyranny and political repression. Greek athletes, even though naked, seem to have made a point of avoiding exposure of their glans, for example by infibulation, or wearing of a kynodesme. While statues of males often showed complete nudity, female statues often were shown"
"dates back to the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, when surgical means were taken to lengthen the foreskin of individuals born with either a short foreskin that did not cover the glans completely or a completely exposed glans as a result of circumcision. In Classical Greek and Roman societies, exposure of the glans was considered gross and improper, and did not conform to the Hellenistic ideal of gymnastic nudity. Men with short foreskins would wear the kynodesme to prevent exposure. As a consequence of this social stigma, an early form of foreskin restoration known as ""epispasm"" was practiced among"
"Active women of ancient Greece wore a breastband called a ""mastodeton"" or an ""apodesmos"", which continued to be used as an undergarment in the Middle Ages. While men in ancient Greece abandoned the ""perizoma"", partly high-cut briefs and partly loincloth, women performers and acrobats continued to wear it. Artwork dating back to the Diocletian period (286-305 AD) in Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily, excavated by Gino Vinicio Gentili in 1950-60, depicts women in garments resembling bikinis in mosaics on the floor. The images of ten women, dubbed the ""Bikini Girls"", exercising in clothing that would pass as bikinis today, are"
"it was regarded as obscene and offensive to show a long penis and the glans penis in particular. Tying up the penis with a string was a way of avoiding what was seen as the shameful and dishonorable spectacle of an exposed glans penis, something associated with those without repute, such as slaves and barbarians. It therefore conveyed the moral worth and modesty of the subject. Many ""kynodesmē"" are depicted on vases, almost exclusively confined to symposiasts and komasts, who are as a general rule older (or at least mature) men. Infibulation Infibulation is the surgical removal of the external"
"to be so, though athletes and warriors in combat were often depicted nude. In Ancient Greece, where the mild climate was conducive to being lightly-clothed or nude whenever convenient, and male athletes competed at religious festivals entirely nude, and celebrated the human body, it was perfectly natural for the Greeks to associate the male nude form with triumph, glory, and even moral excellence. The Greek goddess Aphrodite was a deity whom the Greeks preferred to see clothed. In the mid-fourth century BC, the sculptor Praxiteles made a nude Aphrodite, called the Knidian, which established a new tradition for the female"
"Diadumenos The Diadumenos (""diadem-bearer""), together with the ""Doryphoros"" (spear bearer), are two of the most famous figural types of the sculptor Polyclitus, forming a basic pattern of Ancient Greek sculpture that all present strictly idealised representations of young male athletes in a convincingly naturalistic manner. The ""Diadumenos"" is the winner of an athletic contest at a games, still nude after the contest and lifting his arms to knot the diadem, a ribbon-band that identifies the winner and which in the bronze original of about 420 BCE would have been represented by a ribbon of bronze. The figure stands in contrapposto"
"and laced corsets or a corselette. The support device was worn outside other clothing and supported and exposed the breasts, pushing them upwards and making them more visible. The succeeding Mycenae civilization emphasized the breast, which had a special cultural and religious significance, associating the mature figure with fertility and procreation. Women in Classical Greece are often depicted loosely draped in , or with one breast exposed. Women wore an ""apodesmos"" (Greek: ἀπόδεσμος, later ""stethodesmē"" (Gr: στηθοδέσμη), ""mastodesmos"" (Gr: μαστόδεσμος) and ""mastodeton"" (Gr: μαστόδετον), all meaning ""breast-band"", a band of wool or linen that was wrapped across the breasts and"
"Hoplitodromos The hoplitodromos or hoplitodromia (Greek: , English translation: ""race of soldiers"") was an ancient foot race, part of the Olympic Games and the other Panhellenic Games. It was the last foot race to be added to the Olympics, first appearing at the 65th Olympics in 520 BC, and was traditionally the last foot race to be held. Unlike the other races, which were generally run in the nude, the ""hoplitodromos"" required competitors to run wearing the helmet and greaves of the hoplite infantryman from which the race took its name. Runners also carried the ""aspis"", the hoplites' bronze-covered wood"
"Gymnasium (ancient Greece) The gymnasium () in Ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public game(s). It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual pursuits. The name comes from the Ancient Greek term ""gymnós"" meaning ""naked"". Only grown men were allowed to use the gymnasia. Athletes competed nude, a practice which was said to encourage aesthetic appreciation of the male body, and to be a tribute to the gods. Gymnasia and palestrae (wrestling schools) were under the protection and patronage of Heracles, Hermes and, in Athens, Theseus. The word ""gymnasium"" is the latinisation of"
"although many stone ""yokes"" have been uncovered. Misnamed by earlier archaeologists due to its resemblance to an animal yoke, the stone yoke is thought to be too heavy for actual play and was likely used only before or after the game in ritual contexts. In addition to providing some protection from the ball, the girdle or yoke would also have helped propel the ball with more force than the hip alone. Additionally, some players wore chest protectors called ""palmas"" which were inserted into the yoke and stood upright in front of the chest. Kneepads are seen on a variety of"
"as well as men's. The zoster was also worn and is still worn by Greeks when wearing traditional costumes (regional clothing). Zoster (costume) A zoster () was a form of girdle or belt worn by men and perhaps later by women in ancient Greece, from the Archaic period (c. 750–c. 500 BC) to the Hellenistic period (323–30 BC). The word occurs in Homer, where it appears to refer to a warrior's belt of leather, possibly covered in bronze plates. Later references in the late Archaic and early Classical periods show it used as a belt or cloth girdle with men's"
"shield, bringing the total encumbrance to at least 50 pounds. As the ""hoplitodromos"" was one of the shorter foot races, the heavy armor and shield was less a test of endurance than one of sheer muscular strength. After 450 BC, the use of greaves was abandoned; however, the weight of the shield and helmet remained substantial. At Olympia and Athens, the ""hoplitodromos"" track, like that of the ""diaulos"", was a single lap of the stadium (or two ""stades""; about 350-400m). Since the track made a hairpin turn at the end of the stadium, there was a turning post called a"
"in many other art forms to display movement. His body is twisted in preparation but since he is looking back it is unclear if he is preparing to jump. Behind him there are two javelins, presumably leaning against a wall. There is not much detail in the athletes features but the simplicity keeps the images clean and easy to see. In addition, there is an inscription around the youth reading ""Athenodotos is handsome"". The athlete now has a name and the inscription emphasizes the high regard the Ancient Greeks held their athletes. The sides of the kylix also show images"
"""gymnopedia"", ""gymnopaedie"" (in German), and ""gymnopédie"" (in French, including Erik Satie's ""Gymnopédies""). The word ""Gymnopaedia"" appears in texts of Herodotus, and several authors in the Attic and Koine Greek periods. The festival, dedicated to Apollo, was celebrated every year in the summertime with gymnastic contests. The festival lasted for several, perhaps for ten, days. The statues of Apollo, Artemis and Leto stood in a part of the Agora, and it was around these statues that the Spartan youths performed their choruses and dances in honour of Apollo. On the last day grown men also performed choruses and dances in the"
"Corslet A corslet is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ""a piece of defensive armour covering the body."" In ancient Egypt, Ramesses II is said to have worn a similar device in some battle(s). In Ancient Greek armies, the 'hoplite', or heavy infantryman, wore a bronze corslet or known as the ""thorax"" (or a linen version known as the linothorax) to protect his upper body. The corslet consisted of two plates connected on the sides via hinges and bronze pins. By the 16th century, the corslet, also spelled corselet, was popular as a light-half-armour for general military use, e.g.,"
"metres) in full military armour. The hoplitodromos was based on a war tactic of soldiers running in full armor to surprise the enemy. Wrestling (""pale"") is recorded as being introduced at the 18th Olympiad. Three throws were necessary for a win. A throw was counted if the body, hip, back or shoulder (and possibly knee) touched the ground. If both competitors fell nothing was counted. Unlike its modern counterpart Greco-Roman wrestling, it is likely that tripping was allowed. Boxing (""pygmachia"") was first listed in 688 BC, the boys event sixty years later. The laws of boxing were ascribed to the"
"philosophers"". (""Gr ""gymnos"": naked; ""sophist"": knowledge""). The philosopher Onesicritus investigated their beliefs and lifestyle. Pyrrho the Sceptic was impressed and incorporated nudity into his philosophy. The Gymnosophists were Hindus, but Jain and Ajivika monks practiced nudity as a statement that they had given up all worldly goods. Nudity was not a new concept to the Greeks as the Olympic Games (founded in 776 BC) were exclusively male and nude events. Historically, the Adamites, a Gnostic sect, practiced religious nudism. A religious sect in Canada that immigrated from Russia, the Sons of Freedom, went so far in the 1900s (1903-1950s) as"
"The pancration was a popular athletic event in Ancient Greece and was introduced in 648 BCE to the Olympic Games. The word pancration can be broken down into ""pan"" meaning all and ""kratos"" meaning strength or power and it was a form of ancient martial arts that combined both wrestling and boxing. In Onesimos' depiction of the pancration there are two young boys wrestling, their youth evident from their lack of facial hair, and there are two trainers, one on either side of the them. One trainer is standing and the other is sitting next to a column that is"
"in Ancient Greece for athletes to exercise and compete in the nude. In ancient Sparta, the Gymnopaedia was a yearly celebration during which naked youths displayed their athletic and martial skills through the medium of dancing. In antiquity even before the Classical era, e.g. on Minoan Crete, athletic exercise played an important part in daily life. The Greek practice to compete and exercise was strongly inspired by their gods and heroes. For the gods and heroes nudity was a part of their identity and a way to display their physical energy and power which the athletes attempted to honour and"
"circumcise operated throughout the Hellenistic world: when the Judean king John Hyrcanus conquered the Idumeans, he forced them to become circumcised and convert to Judaism, but their ancestors the Edomites had practiced circumcision in pre-Hellenistic times. Some Jews tried to hide their circumcision status, as told in 1 Maccabees. This was mainly for social and economic benefits and also so that they could exercise in gymnasiums and compete in sporting events. Techniques for restoring the appearance of an uncircumcised penis were known by the 2nd century BCE. In one such technique, a copper weight (called the ""Judeum pondum"") was hung"
"first Olympic champion Onomastus of Smyrna. It appears body-blows were either not permitted or not practised. The Spartans, who claimed to have invented boxing, quickly abandoned it and did not take part in boxing competitions. At first the boxers wore ""himantes"" (sing. ""himas""), long leather strips which were wrapped around their hands. The pankration was introduced in the 33rd Olympiad (648 BC). Boys' pankration became an Olympic event in 200 BC, in the 145th Olympiad. As well as techniques from boxing and wrestling, athletes used kicks, locks, and chokes on the ground. Although the only prohibitions were against biting and"
"– in ancient times the old Thracians held the Kukeri (Mummers’) Ritual Games in honour of god Dionysus. The Kukeri games are performed by men only, dressed in colourful hand-made costumes and wearing scary masks. Each has also a leather belt around the waist with huge copper bells (chanove) attached to it. The Kuker's masks are decorated with threads, ribbons, laces and usually represent animals like goats, bulls, rams, or even chicken. Some of the masks are double-faced. On one of the sides, the nose is snubbed and the face is good-humored, on the other side, the nose is hooked"
"body. Many had a strap called a guige that allowed them to be slung over the user's back when not in use or on horseback. During the 14th–13th century BC, the Sards or Shardana, working as mercenaries for the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, utilized either large or small round shields against the Hittites. The Mycenaean Greeks used two types of shields: the ""figure-of-eight"" shield and a rectangular ""tower"" shield. These shields were made primarily from a wicker frame and then reinforced with leather. Covering the body from head to foot, the figure-of-eight and tower shield offered most of the warrior's"
"portrayed as magical, giving power and strength if worn by men, and protection if worn by women. Several scriptures in the Bible make use of the girdle as a symbol for readiness and preparation. Ishtar, a Babylonian goddess, wore a fertility girdle, which, when it was removed, rendered the universe barren. Hercules wrestled with the Amazon queen for her girdle in his Greek myth. Aphrodite, or Venus in Roman mythology, also wore girdles associated with lechery in later poetry. For men a girdle was often used to hold weapons. It also gave them freedom to move in a fight, unlike"
"wish to sport the traditional trend of short back and sides wearing their hair in a topknot. Men of the Joseon Era of Korea wore the sangtu as a symbol of marriage. 16th century Japanese men wore the chonmage for samurai warriors and sumo wrestlers. In the west, topknots were frequently worn by ""barbarian"" peoples in the eyes of the Romans, such as the Goths, Vandals, and most importantly, the Lombards. Later, the hairstyle survived in the pagan Scandinavian north (some believe the topknot hairstyle contains elements of Odinic cult worship)[ and with the eastern nomadic tribes such as the"
"in Africa and Australia. Polybius asserts that Celts typically fought naked, ""The appearance of these naked warriors was a terrifying spectacle, for they were all men of splendid physique and in the prime of life."" In antiquity even before the Classical era, e.g., on Minoan Crete, athletic exercise was an important part of daily life. The Greeks credited several mythological figures with athletic accomplishments, and male gods (especially Apollo and Heracles, patrons of sport) were commonly depicted as athletes. While Greek sculpture often showed males completely nude, a new concept for females, ""Venus Pudica"" (or partially nude) appeared, for example,"
"as a compression garment. This form of women's foundation wear replaced the corset in popularity, and was in turn to a large extent surpassed by the pantyhose in the 1960s. The men among the Greeks and Romans wore the girdle upon the loins, and it served them to confine the tunic, and hold the purse, instead of pockets, which were unknown; girls and women wore it under the bosom. The ""Strophium"", ""Taenia"", or ""Mitra"" occurs in many figures. In the small bronze Pallas of the Villa Albani, and in figures on the Hamilton Vases, are three ""cordons"" with a knot,"
"daily military training. On the other hand, he describes the gymnopaedia as ""yet another dance"", neither involving nudity nor exclusivity for men. Gymnopaedia The Gymnopaedia, in ancient Sparta, was a yearly celebration during which naked youths displayed their athletic and martial skills through the medium of war dancing. The custom was introduced in 668 BC, concurrently with the introduction of naked athletics. The word ""Gymnopaedia"" derives from the ancient Greek , composed of the words (""gymnos"", ""naked"" or ""unarmed"") and ""game"" from (""pais"", ""child"" or ""youth""). In Greek the plural form, , appears most often. In addition to ""gymnopaedia"", modern"
"these moves, the opponent would tend to land on his side or face down. The athlete can follow the opponent to the ground and place himself on his back, where he could strike him or choke him from behind while holding him in the ""grapevine"" body lock (see above), stretching him face down on the ground. This technique is described by the Roman poet Statius in his account of a match between the hero Tydeus of Thebes and an opponent in the Thebaid. Tydeus is described to have followed this takedown with a choke while applying the ""grapevine"" body lock"