The Tragic End of Milo of Croton

Milo of Croton was the strongest man in the ancient Greek world, or so the stories say. A six-time Olympic champion, military hero, and larger-than-life celebrity, he became the subject of countless legends. Yet despite his extraordinary feats of strength, Milo is remembered today as much for the bizarre manner of his death as for his victories. According to ancient writers, the man who could carry a bull on his shoulders met his end while attempting to split a tree apart with his bare hands.

Milo of Croton, by Joseph-Benoît Suvée (1743–1807). Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Milo was a native of Croton, a prosperous Greek colony in southern Italy. His historical existence is well attested by ancient authors, and his athletic record was already famous in antiquity. The second-century AD traveller Pausanias states that Milo won six Olympic wrestling crowns, one as a boy and five as an adult. He also records victories at the Pythian Games and notes that Milo unsuccessfully attempted to win a seventh Olympic title, only to be thwarted by the younger wrestler Timasitheus.

His fame extended beyond the athletic arena. The historian Diodorus Siculus records that Milo fought in the war between Croton and Sybaris around 511 BC. According to Diodorus, he led the Crotoniate army dressed like Heracles, wearing a lion skin and carrying a club. The image perfectly matched his reputation as a man of almost superhuman strength.

Stories about Milo's strength circulated throughout the Greek world. The most famous tells how he trained by carrying a newborn calf on his shoulders every day. As the animal grew larger, Milo's strength increased accordingly. By the time the calf had become a full-grown bull, he was supposedly able to carry it around a stadium before slaughtering and eating it.

Other legends recount that he could hold a pomegranate so firmly that nobody could take it from him, yet without crushing it. He supposedly stood upon a greased discus and resisted all attempts to push him off. Another tale claimed that he tied a cord around his forehead and snapped it simply by swelling the veins of his head.

Milo of Croton attacked by wolves, by Charles Meynier (1763–1832). Credit: Wikimedia Commons

However, the tale that ensured Milo's immortality was the story of his death.

The earliest surviving detailed account comes from Pausanias, who wrote nearly seven hundred years after Milo's lifetime. According to his narrative, Milo was travelling the countryside when he met a villager who was struggling to split a tree stump with a hammer and wedges. Eager to show his strength, Milo asked the man if he could attempt to split the wood with his bare hands. The villager, honoured by his offer, went off to get food while Milo worked. Milo immediately tried to pull the stump apart by inserting his fingers in the crack where the villager had driven the wedges, but as he pulled the stump open, the wedges fell out and trapped his fingers. Helpless and unable to escape, Milo remained imprisoned in the wood until wolves (or lions) descended upon him and killed him.

The story of Milo’s death was widely repeated in antiquity as an example of the dangers of overconfidence. Even today, more than 2,500 years later, Milo of Croton remains a fascinating blend of history and myth. His athletic achievements were real enough to earn him a lasting place in Greek history. Yet it is the story of the mighty wrestler trapped in a tree and devoured by wolves that has ensured his enduring fame.

Milo of Croton. Stipple engraving by A. Zaffonato after G.A. Pordenone. Credit: Wikimedia Commons