Training in the athlete's city
The athlete started training in his homeland from his childhood.
Through training he
aimed at the development of his physical abilities, and the
improvement of his technique. The educators were members of
the following categories: the paidotribai (who exercised the
body), the gymnastai (the gymnasts, trainers for athletic
exercises, who required substantial fees) and the aleiptai.
The latter were responsible for anointing the athletes' body
with oil and massaging their muscles.
The profession of the trainer became highly specialized during antiquity. Aristotle pointed out that the Greeks disagreed more on the navigation of ships rather than on training, because the navigation techniques are less developed than training! If an athlete could not cover the expenses of training, so as to be able to participate in the Olympic Games, his city undertook the responsibility to hire a trainer to supervise him.
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