Event: Gorgos son of Eukletos from Messene (Messenia)

Event ID 4320
Person Gorgos son of Eukletos from Messene in Messenia
Festival Olympia in Olympia (Elis)
Discipline pentathlon: pentathlon
Age Category
Date -250 - -225
Achievement V
Comment: The statue of Gorgos was made by Theron from Boiotia (Paus. 6.14.11). Polybius (7.10; also Suda s.v. Gorgos) tells us about a Gorgos from Messene, who was a successful athlete in his youth and had won numerous prizes. Later, he gave up on athletics and started an equally successful career as man of politics. Gorgos also appears as a member of a Messenian embassy to Philip V of Macedonia in 218 BC (Polybius 5.5). His athletic career, and his victory at the Olympic games, therefore probably antedated 218 BC, roughly the third quarter of the 3rd century BC. Moretti (1957, no. 573) suggests his victory took place at the 137th Olympiad (= 232 BC). [DvdL]