I Naked Virtue: Ancient Athletic Nudity and the Olympic Ethos of Arete Heather Reid and Georgios Mouratidis* Abstract Observed front a historical perspective that tncludes the ancient Games, doping is a relatively recent phenomenon that became increasingly widespread in sport after the l9'h century ond the beginning of modern Olympic Games. Tlte "spirit of sport" that WADA was formed to preserve, however, can be identified in ancient Olympic ethos of aretd. In this paper, we explore the enduring relevance of WADA's mission by interrogating tlte close connectton between victory qnd virtue in the ancient Olympic Games, as symbolized by the phenomenon of athletic nudity. Harnessing evidencefrom history, epigraphy, literature, and art, we show that thewhole concept of athletic victory was founded upon an ethos choracterized by respect for ideals, public demonstrotion, individual effort, and civic responsibiltty. Ancient athletes who sougltt external assistance or tried to buy victory were punished and derided- even when their victories were legitimate. It was virtue (aretE) that rendered victory voluable, not just to the athlete, but ntore importantly to the community. The athlete's nudity symbolized hts agency-the idea that he was the prtmary cause of his performance and therrfor" worthy of the glory accorded to victors. The conceptual connection between victory and virtue is fundantental to the spirit of Olympic Sport and demands protectionfrom organizations like WADA. Introduction According to the "Fundamental Rationale for the World Anti-Doping Code, Anti- doping programs are founded on the intrinsic value of sport [...] often referred to as "the spirit of sport": the ethical pursuit of human excellence through the dedicated perfection of each Athlete's natural talents. Anti-doping programs seek -Heather Reid is a Professor Emeritus at Morningside College, USA and Georgios Mouraditis (PhD) is affiliated with the University of St. Andrews, UK * Ol1'mpika XXIX-(20 20), 29 -5 5 29