Games in Ancient Olympics

The ancient Greek Olympic Games were open only to men who knew Greek and lived in one of the surrounding city states. The Games were also only open to men of a certain age, and the first game only contained one event, a short race. It wasn’t until later that they began adding other events, some of which are still played today. The Ancient Olympics is a resourceful site with information geared towards kids, and the Ancient Olympic Games looks at the individual games used in the first Olympics. Ancient Olympics - Olympia focuses on individual games and how they were played.

Boxing was one event played during the ancient Olympic Games. Boxers wore specific clothing that included a thong or strap, and wrapped their hands in hard leather straps. The games included a period of rest, and both holding and below the belt hits were considered illegal. The match was called when one boxer admitted defeat. Also see

Ancient Olympics, which shows drawings of the events, and The Ancient Olympic Games to read a short essay on how the games took place.

The javelin event used a lightweight wooden pole that was the same height as the contestant. The javelin was placed inside a thong and thrown by gripping the sides of the thong as the javelin was released. The winner of the event was based on who hit closest to the mark, and in another event, who could throw the javelin the farthest. Users will also find interesting Ancient Milestones, a timeline of the major events in Olympic history, and The Ancient Olympics, which discusses how the Olympics came to be helpful. The Ancient Greek Olympics contains an easy to follow guide on the Olympics, meant for children, and The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece lists the games played in ancient times.

The pentathlon covered five different events: running, jumping, discus, javelin and wrestling. The winner had to either win all five events or best their competitors in at least three of the events. Running was another event held during ancient times. Runners often wore nothing on their bodies, but at certain events had to carry a shield and wear a helmet. Those interested can visit The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games for a detailed guide on the Olympics, 10 Fascinating Facts about the Ancient Olympic Games for a list of unusual facts about the games, and The Ancient Olympic Games Virtual Museum to learn about all aspects of the games.

In the discus event, participants threw a stone discus through the air, with the win awarded to the individual who threw the discus the farthest. Another game was known as the pan ration. This event combined wrestling and boxing and was similar to mixed martial arts. Participants were allowed to do any move, and the winner was the one who never touched the ground during the match. For an online guide covering the games check out Ancient Olympics Guide, and see Ancient Olympic Games for a history of the games as detailed by the Olympic Committee. There’s also The Ancient Olympic Games, which details what was seen and not seen at the games, and Ancient Olympic Games, an encyclopedia entry on the games.

Wrestling matches took place with two men covered in olive oil and dust. The victory was awarded to the wrestler who could throw their opponent to the ground three times.

In another event, jumpers used weights in each hand, made a running jump and released the weights as they leapt off the ground. More information is found at The Ancient Olympics, which lists information on the games played and used, Ancient Olympic Sports for a list of sports played at the original games and The Ancient Olympics, an online library covering photographs and artifacts relating to the games. Also helpful is The Olympic Games, which looks at how the games have changed throughout history.

Equestrian events and chariot racing were similar events. The chariots were pulled by two mules or horses and the winner was the one who crossed the finish line first. However, the winner was actually considered the person who owned the chariot and not the driver. Riding and equestrian events included laps races around the event.

Will there every be casino games in the Olympics?