拔河
In ancient Greece the sport was called "helkustinda" (Greek: ἑλκυστίνδα), "efelkustinda" (ἐφελκυστίνδα) and "dielkustinda" (διελκυστίνδα), which derives from "dielkō" (διέλκω), meaning amongst others "I pull through", all deriving from the verb "helkō" (ἕλκω), "I draw, I pull". "Helkustinda" and "efelkustinda" seem to have been ordinary versions of tug of war, while "dielkustinda" had no rope, according to Julius Pollux. It is possible that the teams held hands when pulling, which would have increased difficulty, since handgrips are more difficult to sustain than a grip of a rope. Tug of war games in ancient Greece were among the most popular games used for strength and would help build strength needed for battle in full armor.