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What prizes did winners receive at the ancient Olympic Games?

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A woman in a white pleated dress lights the Olympic torch from a large flame in a gold cauldron, with a crowd seated in the background at Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. — Olympic Games An actress playing the role of an Athenian high priestess lights the Olympic flame in Athens, October 31, 2017. The torch was later carried to Pyeongchang, South Korea, for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

At the ancient Olympic Games, the only official prize awarded to a winner at Olympia was a wreath or garland.12

While modern Olympic winners receive gold, silver, and bronze medals, the ancient victors did not receive material prizes at the site of the competition itself. However, an Olympic champion earned widespread adulation and often received lavish benefits and rewards from his home city upon his return. These athletes were frequently professionals who trained full-time and earned substantial prizes for winning at other, preliminary athletic festivals held throughout Greece.312