Cheating Was Rampant

The Olympics were supposed to be sacred, but competitors cheated relentlessly. Boxers hid stones in their wraps, wrestlers over-oiled to slip free, and bribery was so common that athletes had to swear special anti-corruption oaths.

Caught cheaters paid the price publicly. Their fines funded bronze statues of Zeus called Zanes, lining the entrance to the stadium with each offender's name and crime inscribed for every competitor to read. Archaeologists have found sixteen of these stone bases at Olympia.

The First Cheat

The very first Zanes were paid for by a boxer named Eupolus, who bribed three opponents to throw their bouts. His fine bought the opening statues in the wall of shame, naming him for all time.

Cheating reached the track too. Sprinters who jumped the start were flogged on the spot by officials carrying rods, and judges themselves faced penalties if they ruled unfairly. At the ancient games, getting caught cost money, skin, and reputation.