Acanthus of Sparta
8th-century BC Greek athlete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acanthus the Lacedaemonian (Ancient Greek: Ἄκανθος[1]), was the victor in two footrace events, the diaulos (δίαυλος) and dolichos (δόλιχος), in the Olympic Games of 720 BC.[2] He was also, according to some accounts, the first who ran naked in these games.[3][4][5] Other accounts ascribe this to Orsippus the Megarian. Thucydides says that the Lacedaemonians were the first who contended naked in gymnastic games, although he does not mention Acanthus by name.[6]
