ancient olympic games

1. How many sports were there at the ancient Olympics?

9 sports. The ancient Olympic sporting events were:

Boxing, Discus (part of Pentathlon), Equestrian Events, Javelin (part of Pentathlon), Jumping, Pankration, Pentathlon, Running, Wrestling 

2. Who are Hellanodikai?

Hellanodikai were Greek judges at the ancient Olympics. There were nine of them. The Hellanodikai awarded palm branches and crowns to the winners. Hellanodikai came from Elis, where the Olympics were held. There they were specially trained for the one Olympiad that they judged. The Hellanodikai were renowned for their fairness. 

3.Women weren't allowed active participation in the Olympics. Why not?

Women were second-class people, like slaves and foreigners. Only free-born Greek (male) citizens were allowed.

Women had their own games (Hera games) starting in the 6th century where they competed dressed.

The poleis (city-states) were honored by an Olympic victory. It is possible that a victory by a woman would not be considered an honor.

Being defeated by a woman would probably have been a disgrace.

4. What are Heraean Games?

The ancient Heraean Games, dedicated to the goddess Hera (also spelled Heraia) were the first sanctioned (and recorded) women's athletic competition to be held in the stadium at Olympia,possibly in the Olympic year, prior to the men's events. It is dated as early as the 6th century BC.

Like the men's competition, Heraea originally consisted of foot races only. The Heraea champions won olive crowns, cow or ox meat from the animal sacrificed to Hera and the right to dedicate statues inscribed with their names[2] or painted portraits of themselves on the columns of Hera's temple.

5. What is the origin of the Ancient Olympic Games?

Conventionally, the ancient Olympic games began in 776 B.C., based on records of stade-length races. The victor of this first Olympic game was Koroibos of Elis, in Southern Greece [see Bb on the map]. However, the origins of the ancient Olympics go back to a time that is not well-documented, and so the actual date of the first Olympics is disputed.

The origins of the ancient Olympics interested the ancient Greeks, who told conflicting, history-laced, mythological aitia (origin stories).

One Olympic origins story is connected with one of the early members of the tragedy-ridden House of Atreus. Pelops won the hand of his bride, Hippodamia, by competing in a chariot race against her father, King Oinomaos (Oenomaus) of Pisa, in Elis. Oinomaos was the son of Ares and the Pleiad Sterope.

6.When did the Games start and stop?

The Greeks dated events from the first Olympiad (the four-year period between games) in 776 B.C. — two decades before the legendary founding of Rome.  The games lasted for about 10 centuries. In A.D. 391 the Emperor Theodosius I ended the games.

Earthquakes in 522 and 526 and natural disasters, Theodosius II, Slav invaders, Venetians, and Turks all contributed to destroy the monuments at the site.

7.What is the story of the olympic torch?

The ancient Olympics did not have a torch relay. The lighting event began in 1936 for the Berlin Olympics. There may have been torch events at other ancient panhellenic events and there was an Olympic flame, but not an Olympic torch relay.

There was also a religious procession from Elis to Olympia that began two days early and was led by the Olympic officials with their staff, followed by the athletes and trainers.

8. What sports did pentathlon and biathlon include initially?

Pentathlon was the name for the five events in Greek gymnastics: running, jumping, wrestling, discus throwing, and javelin throwing.

By the 18th Olympiad, in 708 B.C., the Pentathlon (broad jump, discus, javelin, running, and wrestling) had been added. Originally, the only event was the race. Jason, of Argonaut fame, is credited with inventing the contest. According to legend, when Jason instituted the event, he awarded the prize to his friend Peleus.

9.From what material was the ancient discus made?

Originally made of stone, later discuses were made of bronze, iron, or lead. The ancient discus looked a lot like the ones used today. It weighed between 1.3 and 6.6 kilograms and was anywhere from 17 to 32 centimeters in diameter. Boys threw a different, smaller discus than the men.

10.According to mythology, who invented the sport of boxing?

In the chariot racing event, it was not the rider, but the owner of the chariot and team who was considered to be the competitor, so one owner could win more than one of the top spots.

11.What did equestrian events include?

according  myth, Apollo invented the sport of boxing.