Gymnos

In ancient Greece, male citizens spent a great deal of time in the gymnasium, in order to sculpt their bodies to the desired level. The word comes from the Greek words gymnazo, meaning 'exercise', and gymnos, meaning 'naked'. Exercising or competing in the nude encouraged aesthetic appreciation of the male body. It was also a tribute to the gods.

Wrestling was taught and practiced inside a building called a palaestra, which was often attached to a gym. Inside the palaestra, handsome young men called prosgymnastes would offer to wrestle others for a fee. These young men were known as 'statues', and wrestling one was known as 'hugging a statue'. They were not held in high esteem.