Oebotas of Dyme

Oebotas of Dyme, the son of Oenias, was an ancient Greek athlete from Dyme who won the stadion race in the sixth Ancient Olympic Games in 756 BC.^[1]^[2] The stadion race (about 180 meters) was the only competition in the first 13 Olympiads.

He was the first winner from Achaea. A statue in his honour was erected in Olympia. It was customary for Achaeans who were going to compete in the Olympics to make a sacrifice to him. If they were victorious, they would lay a wreath at the base of his statue. In addition, Oebotas's tomb could be seen in the vicinity of Dyme.^[2]

Curse

He was not honored for his victory by the Achaeans and legendarily cursed the Achaeans to never win the Olympics for that and the Achaeans did not have an olympic winner until Sostratus of Pellene won the race.^[3]

References

^ Eusebius. Chronicon (English translation from Latin, original Greek lost) at Attalus.org
^ ^a ^b Pausanias. Description of Greece, Book 7 Archived 2016-07-03 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Pausanias Description of Greece 7.17.13, 7.17.14

Ancient Olympic Games

General

Sports

Foot races	Diaulos Dolichos Hoplitodromos Stadion
Horse races	Apene Chariot of polos Decapolon Kalpe Keles Perfect chariot Polos Synoris Synoris of polos Tethrippon Tethrippon of polos
Combat	Boxing Pankration Wrestling
Special	Herald and Trumpet contest Pentathlon

Winners

Acanthus of Sparta Agasias of Arcadia Agesarchus of Tritaea Alcibiades of Athens Alexander I of Macedon Anaxilas of Messenia Aratus of Sicyon Archelaus of Macedon Arrhichion of Phigalia Arsinoe II Astylos of Croton Berenice II of Egypt Bilistiche Chaeron of Pellene Chilon of Patras Chionis of Sparta Cimon Coalemos Coroebus of Elis Cylon of Athens Cynisca of Sparta Damarchus Demaratus of Sparta Desmon of Corinth Diagoras of Rhodes Diocles of Corinth Ergoteles of Himera Euryleonis Herodorus of Megara Hiero I of Syracuse Hypenus of Elis Hysmon of Elis Iccus of Taranto Leonidas of Rhodes Leophron Milo of Croton Nero Caesar Augustus Oebotas of Dyme Onomastus of Smyrna Orsippus of Megara Peisistratos of Athens Phanas of Pellene Philinus of Cos Philip II of Macedon Philippus of Croton Phrynon of Athens Polydamas of Skotoussa Pythagoras of Laconia Pythagoras of Samos Sostratus of Pellene Theagenes of Thasos Theron of Acragas Tiberius Caesar Augustus Timasitheus of Delphi Troilus of Elis Varazdat of Armenia Xenophon of Aegium Xenophon of Corinth
Lists of winners	Ancient Olympic victors Stadion race Archaic period Classical period Hellenistic period Roman period