Dioxippus ( grc, Διώξιππος) was an ancient

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

pankratiast Pankration (; el, παγκράτιον) was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC, which was an empty-hand submission sport with few rules. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as ...

, renowned for his

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

victories in the sport of

pankration Pankration (; el, παγκράτιον) was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC, which was an empty-hand submission sport with few rules. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as ...

. His fame and skill were such that he was crowned Olympic champion by default in 336 BC when no other pankratiast dared meet him on the field. This kind of victory was called "''akoniti''" (literally: without getting dusted). The most famous story of Dioxippus is his victory over Coragus of the Macedonian army.

Coragus

Dioxippus, by then a former pankratiast, attended a banquet hosted by

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

, who liked and respected the athlete. According to Curtius Rufus, Alexander's men mocked the guest, probably out of jealousy, and accused him of being a bit of a glutton. During the banquet, a distinguished

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...

soldier named Coragus became drunk and belligerent, insulted Dioxippus, and challenged him to a match. Dioxippus enthusiastically and contemptuously agreed to the match. Alexander attempted to dissuade the two from fighting, but could not, due to the enthusiasm of the rest of the camp. The Macedonians supported Coragus and the rest of the Greeks supported Dioxippus.Quintus Curtius Rufus, "The History of Alexander", Penguin Classics (c) 2004, pg. 229 Alexander scheduled a day for the bout. The fight is well illustrated by Curtius Rufus. Dioxippus reportedly came out well oiled and nude, carrying a purple cloak in his left hand and a heavy club in his right. Coragus, however, wore full armor, carried a bronze shield and long pike called a sarisa in his left hand, a

javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with t ...

in his right hand, and wearing a side sword. During the match, the Macedonian threw his javelin, which Dioxippus dodged. Then, before Coragus could transfer his pike to his right hand, Dioxippus attacked, shattering the weapon with his club. The Macedonian attempted to draw his sword, but Dioxippus wrestled him, getting double underhooks or as Rufus described as a "bear hug", or a bodylock, swept him to the ground, disarmed him, and immobilized him. He then stepped on Coragus' throat and could have killed him, but Alexander stopped the fight at this point. But this victory became Dioxippus' downfall. Alexander and the Macedonians were disappointed and embarrassed by the outcome of the match, particularly since their defeat occurred in front of recently conquered Persian prisoners. Alexander's disfavor was noted by the Macedonians, who conspired to embarrass Dioxippus by putting a golden cup underneath his pillow and accusing him of theft. Dioxippus felt this dishonor deeply. Realizing the Macedonians had framed him, he wrote a letter to Alexander describing the

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...

, then committed suicide by falling on his sword. Alexander's regret at the death of Dioxippus, which he felt was unwarranted, was made even more bitter by the joyous reactions of the Macedonian camp which revealed their complicity. This story was recorded by the ancient historians

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history '' Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which ...

in "Library of History" and

Quintus Curtius Rufus Quintus Curtius Rufus () was a Roman historian, probably of the 1st century, author of his only known and only surviving work, ''Historiae Alexandri Magni'', " Histories of Alexander the Great", or more fully ''Historiarum Alexandri Magni Maced ...

in "The History of Alexander". Quintus Curtius Rufus discusses the Dioxippus situation in book nine, part 7, paragraphs 16-26. The story of Dioxippus, the assassination of Philip II, and the ascension of Alexander the Great are fictionalized in Peter Katsionis' novel ''Patrida''.

Ancient sources

Curtius Rufus Curtius Rufus () was a Roman professional magistrate of senatorial rank mentioned by Tacitus and Pliny the Younger for life events occurring during the reigns of the emperors Tiberius and Claudius. In all probability, he is to be equated with ...

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ...

References

O'Brien, J. M. Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy.Routledge Publishers. New York, 1993. {{Reflist Ancient Athenians Ancient Olympic competitors Greek male sport wrestlers 4th-century BC Greek people Ancient Greeks who committed suicide Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Pankratiasts