Ancient Greece⁴

Heracles and the Cretan Bull, from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Ancient Greece is one of the most important ancient civilizations to ever exist and its structure has been praised by historians throughout the years. Without a doubt, this period influenced modern societies immensely, and of course, naturism was no stranger to its effects. It is now well-known that public nudity was customary for men in Ancient Greece, especially when exercising or during battles. The male human body represented true power and heroism for Greeks in this period.

It is believed that nudity in Greek athletics originated around the end of the 8th Century BCE and became the norm before the start of the 5th Century BCE. Various art forms from the time serve as visual and written depictions of the correlation between nudity and athletics. A notable example of this was Heracles, who was considered by Ancient Greeks as the greatest hero of all and their protector. Representations of him show a naked man, whose only defence is his body and his strength. To a certain extent, the creation of the Olympic Games and the fact that participants competed naked can be attributed to him. Through these pursuits, the Ancient Greeks were trying to imitate and connect with their heroes and/or Gods like Heracles.

Consequently, their beliefs and practices may have helped them to build greater confidence in their own bodies and themselves. Although these beliefs did not continue into the classical era, nudity as a practice became normal within Ancient Greek athletics. This marked a milestone in naturist history, as it reminds us that confidence is born within us and we can find it by simply accepting who we are while also working to improve ourselves.

⁴John Mouratidis (1985) "The Origin of Nudity in Greek Athletics". Journal of Sport History, Vol. 12, No. 3