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The ancient Olympic Games were initially a one-day event until 684 BC, when they were extended to three days. In the 5th century B.C., the Games were extended again to cover five days. The ancient Games included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration and equestrian events.
Pentathlon

The Pentathlon became an Olympic sport with the addition of wrestling in 708 B.C., and included the following:

Running / Jumping / Discus Throw
Running
Running contests included:
the stade race, which was the pre-eminent test of speed, covering the Olympia track from one end to the other (200m foot race),
the diaulos (two stades - 400m foot race),
dolichos (ranging between 7 and 24 stades).

Jumping

Athletes used stone or lead weights called halteres to increase the distance of a jump. They held onto the weights until the end of their flight, and then jettisoned them backwards.

Discus throw

The discus was originally made of stone and later of iron, lead or bronze. The technique was very similar to today's freestyle discus throw.

Wrestling

This was highly valued as a form of military exercise without weapons. It ended only when one of the contestants admitted defeat.

Boxing

Boxers wrapped straps (himantes) around their hands to strengthen their wrists and steady their fingers. Initially, these straps were soft but, as time progressed, boxers started using hard leather straps, often causing disfigurement of their opponent's face.

Pankration

This was a primitive form of martial art combining wrestling and boxing, and was considered to be one of the toughest sports. Greeks believed that it was founded by Theseus when he defeated the fierce Minotaur in the labyrinth.

Equestrian events

These included horse races and chariot races and took place in the Hippodrome, a wide, flat, open space.

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Ancient Olympic Sports - running, long jump, discus, pankration

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The ancient Olympic Games were initially a one-day event until 684 BC, when they were extended to three days. In the 5th century B.C., the Games were extended again to cover five days. The ancient Games included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration and equestrian events.

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Resumen | Ceremonia de Encendido de la Llama Olímpica | Juegos Olímpicos París 2024 | Olimpia

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Mira lo más destacado de la ceremonia de encendido de la llama olímpica de los Juegos Olímpicos de París 2024 en Olimpia, Grecia.

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Millors atletes del Jocs Olímpics antics

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Millors atletes del Jocs Olímpics antics

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A magical collection of characters light up the accounts of almost 12 centuries of action at the Ancient Games. Huge, heroic men caught the attention with the stars of the combat sports particularly adored. Their physique, love of a challenge and extraordinary appetites chimed with a public brought up on the immortal heroes of Greek mythology. Here, we pick out the best of the best.

At Olympia: One of the most adulated athletes in antiquity, Theagenes won the pankration at the 76 th Olympiad in 476BC, having won the boxing title at the previous Games.

Back story: Born on the island of Thasos to a priest of the temple of Herakles, the locals came to believe Theagenes was in fact the progeny of the God himself.

Favourite fact: This giant of a man spent his life touring the Mediterranean, competing in ancient Games at which he was reported to have won more than 1,400 victory wreaths.

Magical myth: The people of Thasos erected a statue in honour of their great hero but one of his biggest rivals was unimpressed. Having been beaten continuously into second place by Theagenes, the man came to the statue each day and whipped it vigorously until one day it inexplicably fell off its base and killed the vengeful man. Even in death, Theagenes could not help but win.

And a special mention goes to... Arrichion of Phigaleia who, with his final breath, forced his opponent to concede defeat. He was posthumously awarded an Olympic wreath.
Milon of Croton
At Olympia: Six-time Olympic champion.

Historian's view: "Almost everyone's favourite is Milon of Croton. He was famously huge, this enormous guy. As part of the big sacrifice (to Zeus held during each Games) he carried a cow into the sanctuary on his back, killed it and then ate the whole cow himself in a single day. He is a huge, gluttonous figure," said Paul Christesen, Professor of Ancient Greek History at Dartmouth College, USA.

Favourite facts: Reported to have once downed nine litres of red wine in one go, Milon led Croton into battle wearing a lion skin on his back, a crown on his head and carrying a club.

Final Games: Estimated to have been 38-40 years old, Milon reached the final in his seventh Olympic Games. After a long, drawn out battle he surrendered wearily to 28-year-old Timasitheos. At this point the crowd swarmed forward and hoisted Milon on to their shoulders, with Timasitheos leading the cheering.

Fitting end: Tangled in a tree in the wild, having tried to split open its withered stump with his bare hands, Milon was eaten by wolves.

And a special mention goes to... Hipposthenes of Sparta and his son Etoimokles. Between them the pair won 11 Olympic wreaths, yet they struggle for recognition due to the all-consuming figure of Milon.
Diagoras of Rhodes
At Olympia: Victor in the 79 th Olympiad in 464BC.

Back story: Recorded by Grecian scholar Pindar to be 2.20m tall, stories spread alleging that his mother had lain with a god.

Favourite fact: Nick-named euthymaches, meaning 'fair fighter', Diagoras would stand face-on to his opponent, never ducking, weaving or swaying out of the way of any punches.

Olympic dynasty: His three sons won five Olympic titles between them.

Fitting end: Diagoras watched one son win the boxing and then another claim the pankration crown soon after. Both gave their wreaths to their father and the delighted crowd lifted the old champion on to their shoulders. At this point one of the crowd is said to have shouted out something along the lines of, "surely it doesn't get better than this? You may as well die now". At which point Diagoras did exactly that.

And a special mention goes to... the long-haired Pythagoras of Samos who turned up to compete in the boy's section in 588BC but was barred due to his effeminate appearance. He took part in the men's competition instead and won.
Leonidas of Rhodes
At Olympia: One of the greatest Olympians of all-time, ancient or modern, Leonidas won both prestigious sprints, the stadion and the diaulos, and the race in armour at four successive Games, 164BC-152BC.

Favourite fact: Leonidas was 36 years old by the time he won his 12 th Olympic wreath.

Reaction in Rhodes: Said by his countrymen to "have the speed of a God", he was deified in his own lifetime.

Incomparable: While plenty of runners came close, no one ever matched his achievements.

And a special mention goes to... Astylos of Croton who, after winning the stadion and diaulos in 488BC, changed his allegiance and ran for Syracuse in the following two Olympic Games, at which he won both races again. The people of Croton did not take kindly to this switch and turned his family house into a prison.
Phayllos of Croton
At Olympia: Very little is known about individual stars of the pentathlon or about those events within it which were not contested separately; the long jump, discus and javelin. Phayllos is a rare exception to this rule. But while he is known to have won three victories at the Pythian Games, it is not clear what he won at Olympia.

Back story: He competed in the late sixth and early fifth century BC and became a firm favourite of the Greeks, principally thanks to his heroism in battle.

Favourite fact: Phayllos is reported to have soared over the entire 15.2m-sandpit at one long jump competition, registering an incredible 16.3m. It is one of the very few times an exact distance has been recorded in Antiquity. Given that it is physically impossible to jump that far (the current men's long jump world record stands at 8.95m, held by Mike Powell, USA), this distance prompted a discussion that perhaps ancient athletes competed in what we refer to as the triple jump. However, most scholars have now discarded that theory, putting the impossible distance down to embellishment.

Military hero: The man from Croton was hailed by all Greece after the victorious naval battle of Salamis in 480BC. The only Greek from southern Italy to take part, Phayllos commanded his own ship, paid for out of his own pocket. In return a statue of the man was erected on the Acropolis of Athens, the inscription of which survives today. 150 years after the battle, Alexander the Great also sent part of the treasure he seized in Persia to Croton in recognition of Phayllos' dedication.
Kyniska of Sparta
At Olympia: Won the four-horse chariot race in 396BC and 392BC.

Back story: Daughter of the King of Sparta, Kyniska had her sights set on Olympic glory from an early age. Permitted by custom to win an Olympic wreath as the owner of a chariot, she evaded the rules banning women from competing.

Trend setter: Kyniska's victories set the way for female owners, with a total of 12 claiming victory by the end of the Games.

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The first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to Olympia in 776 BC. Full passion and extraordinary feats of athletic endeavour, the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and cultural highlight of the Ancient Greek calendar for almost 12 centuries.

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🥇🥈 ORIGEN, HISTORIA Y CURIOSIDADES DE LOS JUEGOS OLÍMPICOS 🥉💪🏼

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🥇 La HISTORIA de los JUEGOS OLÍMPICOS en 12 minutos | Historia, curiosidades y hazañas de los JJOO

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At their heart, the Games were a religious festival and a good excuse for Greeks from all over the Mediterranean basin to gather for a riotous barbeque. On the middle day of the festival a vast number of cows were slaughtered in honour of Zeus, King of the Greek Gods - once he had been given a small taste, the rest was for the people.

For the first 250-plus years all the action took place in the sanctuary of Olympia, situated in the north-western Peloponnese. Pock-marked by olive trees, from which the victory wreaths were cut, and featuring an altar to Zeus, it was a hugely sacred spot.

The Games lasted a full five days by the fifth century BC and saw running, jumping and throwing events plus boxing, wrestling, pankration and chariot racing. At least 40,000 spectators would have packed the stadium each day at the height of the Games' popularity, in the second century AD, with many more selling their wares outside.

But first, here are our 10 favourite facts to get you started:

All athletes competed naked

Wrestlers and pankration (a sort of mixed martial art which combined boxing and wrestling) competitors fought covered in oil

Corporal punishment awaited those guilty of a false start on the track

There were only two rules in the pankration - no biting and no gouging

Boxers were urged to avoid attacking the on-display male genitals

There were no points, no time limits and no weight classifications in the boxing

Athletes in the combat sports had to indicate their surrender by raising their index fingers - at times they died before they could do this

Boxers who could not be separated could opt for klimax, a system whereby one fighter was granted a free hit and then vice-versa - a toss of a coin decided who went first

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The first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to Olympia in 776 BC. Full passion and extraordinary feats of athletic endeavour, the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and cultural highlight of the Ancient Greek calendar for almost 12 centuries.

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Para los griegos, el relevo de la antorcha olímpica es el símbolo de una herencia sagrada que les legaron sus antepasados, portadora de un mensaje de universalidad y paz.

El relevo de la antorcha a través de Grecia se inicia con un acto simbólico: el primer portador de la antorcha parte del antiguo estadio de olimpia y llega ante la estela dedicada a Pierre de Coubertin, donde, según su voluntad, descansa su corazón en la cuna de los ideales a los que dedicó toda su vida. Es precísamente en este punto donde el portador de la antorcha pasa la llama olímpica al segundo portador, que representa al país anfitrión de los Juegos Olímpicos.

Comienza entonces un relevo de 11 días por toda Grecia. Más de 550 portadores de la antorcha portarán la llama, que llegará el 26 de abril al Estadio Panatenaico de Atenas, donde nacieron los Juegos modernos.

El recorrido de la llama en Grecia se ha diseñado para responder a cuatro aspiraciones principales:

Recorrer toda Grecia, conectando los cuatro extremos del país

Reunir los sitios arqueológicos más importantes de Grecia, guardianes de los tesoros de la civilización antigua

Viajar a través de paisajes emblemáticos que conforman la belleza del país

Honrar los lazos históricos que unen a Francia y Grecia

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Descubre toda la información relacionada al relevo de la Antorcha Olímpica de París 2024 en Grecia.

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Trabajo juegos olimpicos