The gymnasium (Greek: γυμνάσιον, translit. gymnásion) in Ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public games. It was also a place for socializing and ...
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engaging in intellectual pursuits. The name comes from the Ancient Greek term gymnós, meaning "naked" or "nude". Only adult male citizens were allowed to use the gymnasia.
Athletes competed nude, a practice which was said to encourage aesthetic appreciation of the male body, and to be a tribute to the gods. Gymnasia and palaestrae (wrestling schools) were under the protection and patronage of Heracles, Hermes and, in Athens, Theseus.