Elis was an ancient Greek region and city-state in the northwestern corner of the Peloponnese, well known for its horse breeding and for the Olympic Games, which were allegedly founded there in 776 BC⁶. The region was bounded on the north by Achaea, on the east by Arcadia, and on the south by Messenia⁶.
Elis thrived in the Early Roman period and enjoyed numerous privileges because of its role in the organization of the Olympic Games⁵. It was greatly influenced by Roman civilization and developed a multi-cultural identity due to the various ethnic groups, particularly Romans, living there⁵.
The ancient Greeks competed in a brutal full-contact combat sport similar to mixed martial arts called the pankration, a combination of wrestling, boxing, and kicking but with virtually no rules—only biting and eye-gouging were prohibited⁴. Other sports that were played in Ancient Greece consisted of boxing, chariot racing, riding, pentathlon, discus, javelin, jump, running, and wrestling².
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