Glaukos of Karystos was inexperienced when he won Olympia in 520 BC and it showed in the early matches. Glaukos was injured severely in more than one bout. In his most dramatic and finale contest, Glaukos was beaten so badly with many wounds profusely bleeding that spectators did not expect him to rise. It appeared that he had fainted. Glaukos slowly staggered to his feet again until his father/trainer Tisios shouted, “Son, the plough touch” and with an overhead clubbing of his opponent Glaukos shockingly knocked out his foe. Philostratus: “This plough-punch meant, namely to strike the opponent with his right; for in that hand Glaukos had so much power that once, in Euboeia, he had straightened a ploughshare, which was bent, by striking it with the right hand as is with a hammer.” Glaukos is not recorded as having won Olympia again, but was credited with 18 more major boxing championships at the Pythian, Isthmus, and Nemean games. It is impossible to say just how celebrated Glaukos was, but just over 150 years later it's clear to me those ancients felt Glaukos was an all time great. Aeschines mentions Glaukos in Against Ctesiphon: "And yet I am told that he intends to say that I am unfair in holding up his deeds for comparison with those of our fathers. For he will say that Philammon the boxer was crowned at Olympia, not as having defeated Glaucus, that famous man of ancient days, but because he beat the antagonists of his own time;1 as though you did not know that in the case of boxers the contest is of one man against another, but for those who claim a crown, the standard is virtue itself; since it is for this that they are crowned. For the herald must not lie when he makes his proclamation in the theater before the Greeks. Do not, then, recount to us how you have been a better citizen than Pataecion,2 but first attain unto nobility of character, and then call on the people for their grateful acknowledgment." Aeschines was a Grecian political orator and legal scholar who lost a legal dispute with Ctesiphon over the latter’s resolution to reward hated rival statesman, Demosthenes, with a governmental golden crown. Demosthenes, On the Crown, echoes: "Philammon did not leave Olympia without a crown, because he was not so strong as Glaucus of Carystus, or other bygone champions: he was crowned and proclaimed victor, because he fought better than the men who entered the ring against him. You must compare me with the orators of today; with yourself, for instance, or anyone you like: I exclude none." [url]Link: Heavyweight Champions from Ancient to Present[/url] Thanks for reading buds. Hope some of your find Glaukos as interesting as I do. He is the oldest example of a puncher I know of. I'm fairly confident he is boxing's first hit me I hit you back harder type champion. I wouldn't say he is my favorite ancient champion, but definitely one of them.
