Kallipateira of Rhodes

Kallipateira (Gr. ) of Ialysos in Rhodes (l. c. 388 BCE), was an Ancient Greek athlete trainer. She came from a renowned family of athletes in Ancient Greece. She was caught attending the ancient Olympic Games disguised as a male trainer in 388 BCE. Her capture led to a law being introduced that trainers should strip before entering the stadium.

Family

Kallipateira was a granddaughter of Damagetos, king of Ialysos. Her father, Diagoras of Rhodes, was a celebrated boxer and Olympic victor. Diagoras won the boxing at several Panhellenic games and was honoured by Pindar. Her brothers were also Panhellenic champions: Damagetos won pankration events and Akousilaos won in boxing. Her younger brother Dorieus was the most successful, winning the pankration at 21 different Panhellenic games.

Kallipateira was a widow at the time of her arrest at Olympia, which she was attending in support of her own son Peisirodos.

Capture at Olympia

Pausanias records the story of how she was caught:

Her story features in a sonnet of the modern Greek poet Lorentzos Mavilis.