Milo of Croton facts for kids
Milo (also called Milon of Croton) was a very famous athlete from Ancient Greece. He lived in the late 500s BC. Many old writers like Aristotle and Herodotus mention him. This means he was probably a real person. However, many amazing stories about his strength are also told.
Milo was born in Croton, a Greek city in what is now Southern Italy. He was a champion wrestler. He won the Olympics six times! He won once as a boy in 540 BC. Then he won five more times as an adult. He kept competing even when he was over 40 years old. Milo also won many times at the Pythian Games.
The historian Diodorus Siculus wrote about Milo. He said Milo followed the philosopher Pythagoras. Diodorus also wrote that Milo led the army of Croton. They defeated the Sybarites in 511 BC. Milo supposedly fought dressed like Hercules, wearing a lion's skin and carrying a club. He even wore his Olympic wreaths into battle!
Milo's Amazing Strength
Ancient stories say Milo loved to show off his incredible strength. He would perform many impressive feats. Here are some of them:
- He would hold out his arm with his fingers spread wide. Then he would challenge people to try and bend his little finger. No one ever could!
- Milo would stand on a greased iron disk. He would challenge others to push him off. But he was too strong and balanced to be moved.
- He would hold a pomegranate in one hand. He would challenge people to take it from him. No one ever succeeded. Even though he held it very tightly, the fruit was never crushed.
- Milo had a special training method. Every day, he would carry a newborn calf on his back. He did this until the Olympics. By the time the games arrived, he was carrying a full-grown cow! He would carry the cow the length of the stadium. Then, some stories say he would kill, roast, and eat it all by himself.
The Legend of Milo's Death
Legend says that Milo's great strength eventually led to his end. One day, he was traveling and saw a villager trying to split a tree stump. The villager was using a hammer and wedges. Milo excitedly offered to split the wood with his bare hands.
The villager was honored by Milo's offer. He went to get some food while Milo worked. Milo immediately put his fingers into the crack where the wedges had been. He pulled the stump open with his mighty strength. But as he pulled, the wedges fell out! This trapped Milo's fingers in the stump.
Milo tried to free himself, but he couldn't. He was stuck there, waiting for the villager to return. The legend says that wolves, or sometimes a lion, found him. They took advantage of his helpless situation, and that was the end of the mighty Milo.
See also
In Spanish: Milón de Crotona para niños
