Oil and the Strigil

Athletes coated themselves in olive oil before competing, which made wrestling matches incredibly slippery and unpredictable. After events, they scraped off the oil-and-sweat mixture with a curved tool called a strigil — and these scrapings were sold as medicine.

The oil was not just for show. A thin film of it shed grit and sun, and a fresh coat could turn a solid grip into a hopeless one mid-bout. Buyers prized the used scrapings as a remedy for aches and skin trouble, so a famous athlete's sweat could fetch a real price.