Boxing was a popular sport in ancient Greece, with evidence of it dating back to the Minoan civilization. However, it was not until the 7th century BCE that boxing became an Olympic event.
The rules of ancient Greek boxing were quite different from modern boxing. There were no weight classes, and there were no rounds. The fighters would continue until one of them was knocked out or gave up. Fighters were not allowed to wear gloves, and their hands were often wrapped in leather thongs to protect them from injury. Also, kicking was somewhat allowed in ancient Greek boxing, making it closer to modern kickboxing than traditional Western boxing where punching is generally the only form of offense allowed.
The objective of the sport was to knock out the opponent, but there were other ways to win. If a fighter was knocked down, he had ten seconds to get back up. If he failed to do so, he lost the match. Additionally, if a fighter was disqualified for breaking the rules, his opponent was declared the winner.
Boxing was liked by different philosophers. For example, Plato liked martial arts like boxing and believed that it would make people more virtuous and capable of defending themselves in dangerous environments as he states in one of his writings.
The point is not to deny the more aggressive urges, but to give them a safe place to flourish. This weds impulse to achievement, and does so in an environment of relative safety. A punch in the karate school might have the same force and accuracy as a punch in a bar, but the former is thrown collaboratively, whereas the latter is an act of malice. Put simply, exercise at its most virtuous is an enterprise of honesty: accepting the more destructive urges, and socializing them for the greater good. - Plato, How to Think About Exerccise
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