[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"A gleam that was meant to intimidate opponents"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The athletes of the ancient Olympic Games wore no armour. They wore no jerseys, no colours, no logos. They wore only one thing: a layer of gleaming olive oil. Before stepping into the arena, they carefully rubbed their bodies with fine oil. But this was not just grooming — it was tactics. The oil made muscles appear more defined, amplified the sunlight on the skin and gave the athletes an almost supernatural aura. For the spectators it was impressive. For the opponents it was intimidating."},{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"More than vanity: a ritual with meaning"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For the Greeks, olive oil was a sacred product — a symbol of: - purity - strength - victory - divine protection Anointing oneself was a ritual bath, almost like a prayer before competition. An athlete who gleamed showed that he was prepared, anointed and mentally focused."},{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"The final step: the strigil"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After the competition, the famous strigil came into play — a curved bronze or iron…