World's Oldest Gym Membership Was Written in Greek 1,800 Years Ago

Greek Reporter ^ | April 25, 2025 | Nick Kampouris

[SunkenCiv]

Discovered in the sandy countryside near Oxyrhynchus, the document offers a rare glimpse into the structured world of professional athletes during Roman rule. This Greek text, preserved by Egypt's arid climate, reveals the administrative side of ancient athletic organizations and highlights the enduring influence of Greek cultural practices in Roman Egypt.

This small archaeological discovery from many years ago is a living piece of history that shows us the love for sports that people in Ancient Greece and Rome had. This is why they were so meticulous and organized, in a way very similar to today's gym memberships...

The letter mentions someone named Herminos. Now, Herminos wasn't just a regular guy who wanted to use some ancient dumbbells; it looks like he was a professional boxer (πύκτης in ancient Greek), and the papyrus was some proof of his membership in a group called "Ιερὰ Σύνοδος Ξυστικὴ Περιπολιστικὴ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ηρακλέα," which is Greek for a sacred athletic society of people devoted to Heracles.

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: egypt; epigraphyandlanguage; fitness; godsgravesglyphs; greece; oxyrhynchus; romanempire

[SunkenCiv]

"Herminus has paid his entrance fee and is now a member of the sacred boxing society devoted to Heracles"

peter toth on X

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the link! Oxyrhychus cache ping.

• Make It So! Sayeth Cleopatra [06/21/2016]

[Red Badger]

Planetus Fittus?...................

[ZinGirl]

If it’s some kind of Fight Club, this renders his membership obsolete as it violates the primary rule😬

If not…it’s probably some pyramid scheme or “$1 for the first month!”

[JZelle]

I bet the squat rack was just outside the vomitorium.

[EvilCapitalist]

I don’t know, it’s all Greek to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYeF7Xfb_g4

[CondoleezzaProtege]

🆒

[wally_bert]

They’d still send him a bill.

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the Oxyrhynchus keyword, sorted:

• Invisible ink on antique Nile papyrus revealed by multiple methods [08/21/2019]
• Recently Discovered: 1700-Year-Old Letter Unveiling How Christians Lived Centuries Ago [07/23/2019]
• 4,500 Ancient Manuscripts Being Digitized at St. Catherine's Monastery [Sinai] [04/23/2019]
• Papyrus in Ancient Greek reveals insults ...from man to man [08/18/2018]
• 'Spectacular' ancient public library discovered in Germany [08/01/2018]
• Remember That First-Century Mark Fragment? Now it's been published, there's good news and bad news. [06/02/2018]
• Scientists uncover what may be an early image of Christ [05/01/2014]
• Oxford University wants help decoding Egyptian papyri [ Oxyrhynchus ] [07/27/2011]
• The Next Age of Discovery (fascinating stuff!!) [05/08/2009]
• Papyrus Reveals New Clues to Ancient World (New Sophocles, Lucian: More) [04/28/2005]
• Infra-Red Brings Ancient Papyri to Light [04/20/2005]
• Decoded at last: the 'classical holy grail' that may rewrite the history of the world [04/17/2005]
• WOW (Breakthrough in interpreting Oxyrhynchus Papyri) [04/17/2005]
• Some Recently Published New Testament Papyri from Oxyrhynchus: Overview and Assessment [04/16/2005]
• A New Number of the Beast [04/16/2005]
• Extraordinary Discovery Unlocks Secrets of the Ancients [04/16/2005]
• Chronology of Christianity (1AD-Present) [10/17/2003]
• Rich pickings - "The library of the Mouseion in Alexandria" (might still exist?) [09/30/2002]

[SunkenCiv]

:^)

[fella]

Was the client Didus Falco?

[T.B. Yoits]

Body By Iacobos (Ἰάκωβος)

[Red Badger]

The first rule of Fight Club is WE DON’T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB!.................

[gundog]

[Neanderthal]

I see in the document that that there is a minimum 12 month commitment and that the monthly membership charge of gold coin will be automatically delivered by the bank.

[caddie]

There's probably people in Greece today looking at their credit card statements:

What is that charge?

Still on the hook for that gym membership.

[caddie]

LOL! Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum!

[SunkenCiv]

I got a text message just this morning, five identical ones in fact, with all the NJ tollway charges stuff crossed out, replaced with a bill for millions of denari. The originating cell numbers were all in Roman numerals.