Ancients Collected Athlete Sweat Gloios

In classical Greece and Rome, admirers scraped the sweat and oil from champion athletes with a curved metal tool called a strigil and saved the mixture, known as gloios. They believed anointing themselves with this prized grime would pass on the athlete’s vitality and health. Its trade turned locker-room leavings into a commodity that fans literally wore in pursuit of strength.

Previous Fact Next Fact