Polydamas was a Pankratiast and the victor of wrestling in 93rd Olympic games. Much details about where he hailed from remain a mystery, except for his feats and legendary strength. Before I move on with the story, what exactly is a pankratiast?
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What is Pankration?
Pankration is an ancient Greek martial art which mixes wrestling and boxing. In a form of ancient mixed martial arts, an athlete who competed in this event was called a pankratiast. In the 33rd Olympic Games, pankration was included in the Olympic games and was specifically reserved for the best and strongest athletes.
Polydamas hailed from skotoussa, a city in Thessaly. His strength feats almost rivalled the legendary Herakles (a fighter who defeated the Nemean lion with his bare fists). A feat he did was entering a cattle and holding the bull by his rear feet, so strong that the bull barely escaped leaving the hoof in the grasp of Polydamas. Another feat he achieved was stopping a fast chariot from going any further. All these feats were either myths or unheard of to date.
93rd Olympic Games
In the 93rd Olympic games, Polydamas entered the fist-fighting arena of Pankration. A “rout” to the finals and an easy victory for him. An immense physique and marvellous strength helped him on his way to the Olympic gold.
Persian king, Darius II, heard about the heroics of polydamas and invited him to face a challenge. Polydamas pursued the challenge to Persia where he faced 3 immortals at once. Immortals were the elite infantry of the Persian empire, all of them powerful. Facing 3 against one was a difficult challenge but Polydamas being the man he was, accepted it. The battle was strong but Polydamas emerged victorious in the end.
A fitting end
Ironically, the strength of Polydamas could not prevent his demise, but his death was a sight never forgotten. Polydamas and his friends were resting in a mountain cave when the roof crumbled on their heads. Polydamas showing what we call today as the spirit of a champion held the entire roof to help his friends escape, sacrificing himself in the mountain.
The strength feats and heroics amaze people to this day! Polydamas showcased the meaning of the popular quote, “With great power comes great responsibility”.
