Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were part of a religious festival to pay their respects to Zeus, the king of the Gods.  The games began by making a sacrifice to Zeus.  They took place every four years and thousands of people gathered in the town of Olympia to watch athletes complete against each other.  There were several competitions but the most difficult event was the pentathlon:
Competitors had to take part in five different sports.

long jump
running
wrestling
throwing the discus
throwing the javelin
Sometimes races were run in armour.  The Games were so important that if two cities were at war they stopped fighting while the Games were held.  The athletes entered the stadium through a tunnel and judges and spectators sat around the sides on stone seats.  There were no medals for winning.  Instead the winner received a crown made of laurel leaves, jars of olive oil, vases or pots and pieces of wool, silk or linen to make clothes.  

Entrance to the Olympic stadium
All these prizes were very precious to the Greeks.  Women were not allowed to compete so held their own games in honour of Hera, Zeus' wife and queen of the Gods.