After Michael Phelps won his 12th individual gold on Tuesday night, with his thrilling win over Chad Le Clos, a few historians noted that Phelps, who we’d thought had broken every Olympic record on the book, had actually just tied one more than two millennia old.

That’s right: Phelps is now challenging records from the ancient Olympics, Before Christ. He has tied the greatest number of individual victories (12) with Leonidas of Rhodes, and with the 200m IM and 100m butterfly still on his program, he can break a 2168 year-old record.

#Olympics With his 12th individual Olympic title Michael Phelps equal the all time Olympic record set by Leonidas of Rhodes in 152 BC — Hilary Evans (@OlympicStatman) August 10, 2016

Leonidas was a runner who, according to historians who lived and wrote 400 years after his death, finished first in three Olympic events at four successive Olympics (164-152 BC).

His pet events were the stadion (200 yards), the diaulos (400 yards) and the particularly impressive hoplitodromos - a 400-yard race run with bronze armour (weighing more than 20kg) and shield.

ICYMI, Leonidas won the stadion, diaulos, and hoplite race at the 164-160-156-152 BC Ancient Olympic Games. 4 consecutive in 3 diff events — Bill Mallon (@bambam1729) August 10, 2016

The distances are approximate: The stadion was simply a run to the end of the stadium and back, while the diaulos was that run twice over.

Leonidas dominated his events from the 154th Olympiad in 164 BC, through 160 BC, 156 BC and 152 BC.

Michael Phelps kisses his 21st gold medal. Source: AFP

Ancient Greek historian Pausanius recorded Leonidas as “the most famous runner ... maintained his speed at its prime for four Olympiads, and won twelve victories for running.”

Phelps has one thing over Leonidas: While the American superstar has gold medals, the Greek legend was awarded wreaths for his victories. Phelps has also win his individual golds across five events: The 200m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 400m IM, 200m IM and 200m freestyle.

Phelps had already broken some more records with his 200m butterfly triumph. He is the person to win individual Olympics swimming gold 12 years apart and the oldest man to win an individual swimming gold - breaking a 96-year-old record set by Duke Kahanamoku, the Hawaiian surfing icon, in 1920.