What events were held in the ancient greek olympic games

But in saying this the winners received something far greater that any monetary prize for their champion status, they received fame. The men who won these ancient Olympic events were worshiped as heroes, and even as gods!

Women were not allowed to compete, and only unmarried women were allowed to watch the events. In the very beginning the ancient Olympics only consisted of one event. More running events were introduced later. The hoplitodromos was a footrace competed in armour and was traditionally held last, symbolising the end of a temporary peaceful coexistence and a return to war.

The pentathlon consisted of five events, running, jumping, discus, javelin and a wrestling match. This competition was introduced in BC and the winners were held in high regard for their overall display of skill and strength in many fields. For the jumping part of this event the competitors would hold weights that they would let go of at the apex of their jump. This gave them momentum that helped to propel themselves forward. For the javelin throw a leather strap was attached to the middle so competitors could loop their fingers through to gain acceleration.

Boxing was introduced as an ancient Olympic event in BC. Far different from the boxing we see today, the ancient Olympic boxing had no weight categories, no rounds and no referee. An opponent could admit defeat by raising a single finger, but it was such a disgrace to ones honour that many men chose to fight to the death! Much of what is known about the Olympic events now was unraveled by understanding ancient depictions like the one you can see below, many of which can be seen in museums today.

The technique was very similar to today's freestyle discus throw. This was highly valued as a form of military exercise without weapons. It ended only when one of the contestants admitted defeat. Boxers wrapped straps himantes around their hands to strengthen their wrists and steady their fingers.

They competed by placing enormous importance on the value of the individual, and by respecting the rule of law that was above all. Initially, the games were a local affair and the only event was the sprinting race, but in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE wrestling, boxing, and equestrian events were added, as well as the pentathlon an event that combined running, long jump, discus and javelin throwing, and wrestling , and the pancration which was a vicious form of boxing with little to no rules.

The Olympics in ancient Greece also included poetry and writing competition, and it provided a peaceful ground where Greeks discussed and forged agreements on military, commercial, and political matters.

Olympia declared the games and chose a group of hellanodikai game officials who supervised preparations of the event and the athletes. Competitors prepared for the events for ten months, and they resided and trained in Olympia during the last month before the games began.

During the games, thousands of visitors traveled to Olympia, creating a crowded scene with folk camping wherever they could find a space to spread their blanket.

Most did not even get to see the athletic events since the limited capacity stadium was completely occupied by the early squatters.

While the modern Olympic games are a sort of crowded circus, improved infrastructure in transportation, sewage, architecture, and crowd control make them an almost bearable affair for the spectators.

The ancient gathering however must have been a very visceral affair, vividly described by Epictetus chapter 6 :. Are you not scorched? Are you not pressed by a crowd? Are you not without comfortable means of bathing?

Are you not wet when it rains? Bronze, 3 in. Medveckis in honor of Emily Rafferty and in celebration of the Museum's th Anniversary, Statues of Herakles Hercules in Latin and the god Hermes, depicted on the left and right respectively as herms pillars surmounted by busts covered with lion skins, were traditionally set up in the gymnasium where athletes trained.

Evidently according to myth, many Greek gods and heroes competed in the first games at Olympia: Zeus wrestled his father, Kronos, for the throne; Apollo outran Hermes and beat Ares at boxing; and Herakles, often credited with founding the Olympic games, won victories in wrestling and the pankration , a no-holds-barred combat sport.

Greek athletes looked to their heroic predecessors for inspiration. Terracotta skyphos deep drinking cup , ca. Greek, Attic. Attributed to the Theseus painter. The ancient games featured many competitions that still take place in the modern Olympics, such as foot races, jumping, discus throwing, javelin throwing, wrestling, the pentathlon a combination of the previous five events , and boxing.

As today, athletes specialized in certain events and worked intensively with professional trainers. The ancient Greeks competed in a brutal full-contact combat sport similar to mixed martial arts called the pankration , a combination of wrestling, boxing, and kicking but with virtually no rules—only biting and eye-gouging were prohibited.

This skyphos shows a trainer closely supervising this life-threatening competition. Some fighters boasted nicknames reflecting their signature combat technique. Terracotta pelike wine jar , ca. The ancient Greeks believed that music improved coordination and movement, whether for dancing or military drills or even manual labor. So, in addition to personal trainers, professional musicians also played an important role in athletic games. The man on this pelike plays an aulos a double pipe. He accompanies two boxers stepping lively and shadowboxing in synchronization.

One boxing champion named Melankomas of Caria went down in history for his unique fighting technique—he managed to defeat his opponents without ever dealing a blow, or ever being hit himself.