Athletes performed naked in the ancient Olympics

While some events are shared between the Olympics of Ancient Rome and the Olympics of the modern era, the way that athletes dressed while competing is completely different. In Ancient Rome, athletes competed in the nude as a tribute to the Lord of the Greek Gods, Zeus. The athletes wanted to show Zeus their physical power and muscular physiques, and they figured any piece of cloth covering part of their body would only reduce their ability to do so. Being naked also helped intimidate competitors.