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were not rare in antiquity. It was the victory known as undusted, that
is to say without falling, on the ground, in the dust.
Occasions of a tie were however very rare, and then the victory
was designated as "holy" since in such a case, that is to say when the
contest terminated "without a verdict", the crown was not given to
any of the contestants, but was placed in the temple and was given to
the god. The pedestal of a statue has been preserved with the following
inscription: "To Tiberius Claudius Rufus who contested in a tie
since until night, until the time when the stars came out in the sky,
he withstood and did not give in... he was permitted to erect his statue
with the inscription which would show that he not only contested but
achieved the holy victory which for a century had not been awarded
to any one". This inscription goes back to the 2nd century A.D.
The glory of the ancient athletes was great. Not only because their
achievements show that they were insurpassable but because they knew
how to take part in the games in order to obtain the plain crown of
victory and they did not even hesitate to sacrifice their life for victory
and the glory of their City.
Dion Chrysostomos (31, 21) stressed it.
"These competitors, you see how they strain when they train,
how much they put into it even to the very utmost preferring to die
during the games".
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