Athlete standing, holding a vessel of oil and a strigil, Late Classical period, 4th century BC. From Çarşıkapı. From the Wikipedia: The strigil is a tool for the cleansing of the body by scraping off dirt, perspiration, and oil that were applied before bathing. In Ancient Greek and Roman cultures the strigil was primarily of use to men, specifically male athletes. However, in Etruscan culture there is evidence of strigils being used by both sexes.