He didn’t strip right down. It wasn’t until the mid-eighth century BC that full nudity became compulsory for athletic events. An idea introduced by the Spartans, probably. Gumnos is the Greek word for naked—hence “gymnasium,” a place in which to be naked. Modern gym management insists on a modicum of clothing these days and won’t listen to any arguments about the real origins of the word—I’ve given up trying and usually wear at least a little shred of something when I work out these days.
