Pankration (pronounced or paenkreisyen) is a martial art that was introduced into Greek, and competed at the Olympic Games began in 648 BC and founded as a mixture of boxing and wrestling, but the rules and regulations that have not competed so obvious. Pankration term derived from Ancient Greek Pankration, literally means “all powers” of “strength, power”.

History

In Greek mythology, it is said that the heroes Heracles and Theseus found Pankration as a result of the actualization of the two branches of sports, namely wrestling and boxing, in a battle with their opponents. Theseus uses a remarkable skill to beat someone who is feared in the Labyrinth, Minotaur. Heracles is said to have conquered the Nemean using Pankration, and often depicted in ancient artwork doing that. In this context, it should be noted that Pankration is also referred to as pammachon or pammachion, which means “frontal”, “all” or “total” and mache “battle”. The term was first pammachon there, and then became the forerunners of Pankration.

Mainstream academic view is that Pankration is the product of the development of ancient Greek society seventh century BC, where, as the need for expression in martial sports. However, some evidence suggests that Pankration either in the form of sport and its aggressive shape, may have been practiced in Greece already from the second millennium BC.

Pankration, as practiced in historical times, is a sporting event that combines techniques from boxing and wrestling, as well as additional elements, such as the use of strike with the lower leg, to create a broad fighting sport very similar to today’s art competition self-defense.

Achievement of pankratiasts became a legend in the history of ancient Greek athletics. Many stories of the past champion who is considered as a strong man. Arrhichion, Dioxippus, Polydamas of Skotoussa, and Theagenes are some of the names are recognized. Their achievements are some of the most inspiring of ancient Greek athletics, and they serve as inspiration for the Greek world for centuries, by Pausanias, an ancient writer tells stories in his story on the trip around Greece.

Dioxippus is Athena who has won the Olympics in 336 BC, and serving in the army of Alexander the Great on his expedition to Asia. As an admirer of the champion, he naturally became part of Alexander the Great. In that context, he received a challenge from one of Alexander’s army named Coragus for Pankration fight in front of Alexander and the armed forces in combat. While Coragus fought with weapons and armor equipped, Dioxippus came armed only with a shield and he can beat Coragus without killing, utilizing the skills Pankrationnya.

In another bizarre incident, a fighter named Pankration Phigalia Arrichion of Pankration in the Olympics to win the competition even though it was dead. His opponent has made him lock technique. Arrhichion, desperate, and broke the legs of his opponent (some accounts say his ankle). Opponents almost fainted with the pain and felt. Arrhichion referee raised his hand, but he was found to have died because of the lock of his opponent. His body was crowned with olive wreaths and brought back to Phigaleia as a hero.

In the Imperial period, Rome had adopted the Greek martial sports (spelled in Latin as pancratium) into a competition sport. In 393 BC, Pankration, along with gladiator fights and all the pagan festival, removed by the decision of the Christian Byzantine Emperor Theodosius. Pankration itself is an event in the Olympics for about 1,000 years. This became a controversy whether and by far the Pankration survive in Greek society and the wider Byzantine after the ancient Olympics was stopped.