Eupolemos of Elis won the
stadium-length (approx. 192 m)
foot race at the XCVI
Olympic Games in 396 BC. However, as the race was very close, his victory was contested by the runner-up,
Leon of Ambracia. Three referees, the
Hellanodikai, were in charge of supervising the running events, a difficult task, as there were between twenty or so men spread over a width of more than 20 meters at the finish of a sprint of just under 200 meters. The month of compulsory training in Olympia prior to the Games, supervised by the Hellanodikai, was also intended to enable them to distinguish between the athletes. However, with the dust raised by the race, hesitation remained a possibility. Nevertheless, the numerous spectators could also judge the finish, and the sources do not mention any protests from the spectators when the Hellanodikai announced Eupolemos' victory. Nevertheless, Eupolemos was racing on his home turf, while Leon was arriving from the distant city of
Ambracia. The Games were organized by the city of
Elis, and the referees all hailed from there. Two of the three judges in the footrace had awarded victory to Eupolemos, their compatriot; the third had chosen Leon of Ambracia. The latter appealed to the olympic council, accusing the judges of being financially corrupt. The victory, however, went to Eupolemos. This reconsideration of the Hellanodikai was an anomaly in the history of the Olympic Games. Indeed, ancient authors tended to praise their qualities and impartiality. The two judges who decided in favor of Eupolemos were nevertheless fined by the olympic council, the amount of which is unknown. It is possible that the sum was paid to Léon d'Ambracie as compensation. but it is highly probable that they were unable to reverse a decision by the Hellanodikai, primarily for religious reasons, since the winners were considered to have been chosen by the gods. Leo of Ambracia's accusation of corruption was equally problematic. Had it been true, Eupolemos of Elis would also have been fined, but this does not appear to have been the case. However, it is still possible that someone else paid the judges to decide in Eupolemos' favor. It's also possible that they favored their compatriot, either consciously or unconsciously: knowing Eupolemos better than the foreign riders, they might have believed, in good faith, that he would come in first. Finally, there's one last possibility: as the Hellanodikai were chosen by lot from among the citizens of Elis, the referees of the XCVI Games footrace may have been incompetent. == Pentathlete ==