Gymnasium in Eretria on the island of Euboea

It is located right at the foot of the acropolis.

The gymnasium in Eretria, as one of the few, had two courtyards.

The western courtyard and its associated spaces were built during the period from around 330 to 320 BC and were used at least until the end of the 1st century AD.

The eastern courtyard was built at the beginning of the 3rd century BC and was likely abandoned in the 1st century BC.

The construction of the gymnasium was probably related to the adoption of the Athenian institution of ephebeia by Eretria in 319 BC.

The Athenian Ephebeia was an institution of civic education aimed at young men aged 18 to 20, primarily focused on military training. The training lasted two years and ended with an examination.

The reason for the double courtyard in the building is likely related to its use by two distinct age groups.

The gymnasium contained a loutron, or a place for physical cleansing of the body.

There were as many as seven stone pools supplied with fresh water.

Athletes would wash themselves by pouring cold water from the pools over their bodies.

Over time, the pools were expanded to include additional ones, including those for washing feet.

No traces of heating installations were observed in the described bathing facilities.

The gymnasium provided a steam bath. It consisted of a large, almost circular room with a diameter of about 10 meters, with a terracotta floor and a dome-shaped roof. The absence of any water supply and sewage disposal system indicates that this room was a dry steam bath, likely therapeutic.

Various sports disciplines were practiced in the gymnasiums. Running, as well as javelin and discus throwing, required large spaces, and even tracks.

Geophysical measurements conducted in 2019 revealed two long, parallel lines forming a structure about 8 m wide and at least 160 m long. They were likely tracks.

There is evidence that the gymnasium discovered at the foot of the Acropolis was not the only one in Eretria.

The search lasted a long time.

Finally, in 2019, a homogeneous and flat layer of clay was discovered, ideal for a racetrack.

Fragments of a drainage channel made of protective slabs, bordering the clay layer on the northern side, were also discovered. The structure likely collected rainwater from the embankment to prevent it from flooding the runway.

The gentle slope of the land between the gymnasium and the stadium allowed spectators to watch athletic competitions as if at an Olympic stadium, without the need for stone benches.