Croutons are of course those crunchy tasty things we put in salads. But today I want to talk about Croton which was a Greek colony in southern Italy. Two thousand six hundred years ago Croton was famous for producing very good doctors and athletes. These athletes even led their fellow citizens in war. One such champion wrestler was Milo who exercised, ran and ate tasty olives in Croton. He became famous because he achieved Akoniti.
What is Akoniti and why should you care? Akoniti literally meant, without touching the dust. This title was given to Milo who was so strong that participants would withdraw from the contest to avoid facing him. It seems to me that the Ancient Greeks were really into winning. You don’t find many stories about people who came fourth in a race or even seventeenth. History has forgotten them. It is said that when Milo was walking over to receive yet another prize, he tripped and fell. The audiences joked, that he was no longer Akoniti because he had touched the dust. And so the Greeks loved games so much they even played with a difficult word like Akoniti. That takes talent.
Note: A mysterious visitor who has knowledge of the Greek language corrected my spelling and understanding of the word Akoniti. Credit and best wishes.
