The surprising games played at the Ancient Olympics

Before the Modern Olympics—the international event as we know it today—there were the Ancient Olympics. This was, however, a very different kind of event. Not only was it more of a religious festival, but it also had a lot less sporting events, some of which died out completely over the years. Can you imagine chariot races in today's Olympic Games, for instance?

Click through the following gallery and discover the games played at the Ancient Olympics.

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Olympia -

It is believed that the first Ancient Olympic Games took place in 776 BCE in Olympia, on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece.

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Olympia -

The Games were held in honor of the god Zeus. They were essentially a religious festival and a huge party. There would be feasts, plenty of alcohol, and even animal sacrifices.

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Ancient marathon -

There was no marathon as such in the Ancient Olympics. Though there was a "long race" called dolichos, or dolichus.

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Ancient marathon -

The actual length of the run is unknown. It is estimated that athletes would run somewhere between 3 and 5 miles (around 4-8 km) around the stadium.

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Apene -

The mule (offspring of a female horse and a male donkey) had its own event in the Ancient Olympics, called apene.

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Apene -

The event, which only took place between 500 and 444 BCE, was essentially a race of mule-drawn carts.

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Pankration -

In 1896, society saw the revival of the Olympics. The Games of the I Olympiad, were the first international Olympic Games held in modern times. Many events of the Ancient Olympics were included, except one: pankration.

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Pankration -

Pankration was brutal in every way. It was essentially an early version of MMA. Athletes would fight, using a combination of striking and grappling techniques, until someone tapped out... or died!

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Pankration -

The rules allowed for everything, except biting, gouging (stabbing the opponent's eye, nose, or mouth with fingers), and hitting the g e n i t a l s.

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Running -

Participants in foot races would essentially wear little to no clothes, which would make the run quite light.

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Running -

Except members of the military. They were expected to run fully equipped with helmet and shield!

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Pentathlon -

The pentathlon was introduced in 708 BCE. All athletes had to compete in the five events.

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Pentathlon -

The events consisted of the long jump, javelin throwing, discus throwing, stadion (running), and wrestling.

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Chariot races -

Four-horse chariot races were introduced in 680 BCE. Participants would race two-wheeled chariots around the stadium track.

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Chariot races -

Over the years, the event underwent different versions. In 384 BCE, the chariots began to be pulled by foals instead of fully-grown horses.

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Chariot races -

Years later, the rules changed again. Participants could now beat (and hurt) other competitors and their horses.

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Women and the Ancient Olympics -

The Ancient Olympics were a male-only competition, and women were not allowed to compete. Women had their own separate festival, the Heraean Games (Heraia).

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Women and the Ancient Olympics -

But that was before a Spartan princess named Kyniska, or Cynisca (pictured) entered—and won—the chariot races in 396 BCE, and then again in 392 BCE.

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Women and the Ancient Olympics -

Kyniska's achievement was so huge that she had statues of herself at the Temple of Zeus in Olympia.

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Keles -

But it was not all about chariots. The Ancient Greeks also had a single horse and rider event called keles.

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Keles -

Only mares over one years old were allowed to compete. The event was essentially a trotting race. But in the last lap, the rider would walk alongside the mare.

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Pyx -

Pyx was the Ancient Greek version of boxing. It's thought that it was introduced in 688 BCE.

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Pyx -

The fight would take place in a dirt pit called a skamma, and a referee would be present. The rules were simple: fighters could only punch their opponents until there was a knockout, or someone quit.

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Pyx -

There were no boxing gloves like the ones we have today. Fighters would wrap their hands with thongs of ox hide, and later with thick leather bands.

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Heralds and trumpeters -

There was actually an Olympic competition for heralds and trumpeters, which became officially recognized in 396 BCE.

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Heralds and trumpeters -

They were of utmost importance during the Games. This was before loudspeakers and microphones, so it was a skill to be heard by thousands of people in a stadium!

Sources: (Grunge)

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The surprising games played at the Ancient Olympics -

Click through the following gallery and discover the games played at the Ancient Olympics.

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Olympia -

It is believed that the first Ancient Olympic Games took place in 776 BCE in Olympia, on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece.

Getty Images

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Olympia -

The Games were held in honor of the god Zeus. They were essentially a religious festival and a huge party. There would be feasts, plenty of alcohol, and even animal sacrifices.

Getty Images

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Ancient marathon -

There was no marathon as such in the Ancient Olympics. Though there was a "long race" called dolichos, or dolichus.

Getty Images

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Ancient marathon -

The actual length of the run is unknown. It is estimated that athletes would run somewhere between 3 and 5 miles (around 4-8 km) around the stadium.

Getty Images

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Apene -

The mule (offspring of a female horse and a male donkey) had its own event in the Ancient Olympics, called apene.

Getty Images

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Apene -

The event, which only took place between 500 and 444 BCE, was essentially a race of mule-drawn carts.

Getty Images

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Pankration -

Getty Images

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Pankration -

Pankration was brutal in every way. It was essentially an early version of MMA. Athletes would fight, using a combination of striking and grappling techniques, until someone tapped out... or died!

Getty Images

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Pankration -

The rules allowed for everything, except biting, gouging (stabbing the opponent's eye, nose, or mouth with fingers), and hitting the g e n i t a l s.

Getty Images

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Running -

Participants in foot races would essentially wear little to no clothes, which would make the run quite light.

Getty Images

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Running -

Except members of the military. They were expected to run fully equipped with helmet and shield!

Getty Images

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Pentathlon -

The pentathlon was introduced in 708 BCE. All athletes had to compete in the five events.

Getty Images

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Pentathlon -

The events consisted of the long jump, javelin throwing, discus throwing, stadion (running), and wrestling.

Getty Images

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Chariot races -

Four-horse chariot races were introduced in 680 BCE. Participants would race two-wheeled chariots around the stadium track.

Getty Images

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Chariot races -

Over the years, the event underwent different versions. In 384 BCE, the chariots began to be pulled by foals instead of fully-grown horses.

Getty Images

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Chariot races -

Years later, the rules changed again. Participants could now beat (and hurt) other competitors and their horses.

Getty Images

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Women and the Ancient Olympics -

The Ancient Olympics were a male-only competition, and women were not allowed to compete. Women had their own separate festival, the Heraean Games (Heraia).

Getty Images

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Women and the Ancient Olympics -

But that was before a Spartan princess named Kyniska, or Cynisca (pictured) entered—and won—the chariot races in 396 BCE, and then again in 392 BCE.

Public Domain

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Women and the Ancient Olympics -

Kyniska's achievement was so huge that she had statues of herself at the Temple of Zeus in Olympia.

Getty Images

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Keles -

But it was not all about chariots. The Ancient Greeks also had a single horse and rider event called keles.

Getty Images

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Keles -

Only mares over one years old were allowed to compete. The event was essentially a trotting race. But in the last lap, the rider would walk alongside the mare.

Getty Images

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Pyx -

Pyx was the Ancient Greek version of boxing. It's thought that it was introduced in 688 BCE.

Getty Images

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Pyx -

The fight would take place in a dirt pit called a skamma, and a referee would be present. The rules were simple: fighters could only punch their opponents until there was a knockout, or someone quit.

Getty Images

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Pyx -

There were no boxing gloves like the ones we have today. Fighters would wrap their hands with thongs of ox hide, and later with thick leather bands.

Getty Images

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Heralds and trumpeters -

There was actually an Olympic competition for heralds and trumpeters, which became officially recognized in 396 BCE.

Getty Images

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Heralds and trumpeters -

They were of utmost importance during the Games. This was before loudspeakers and microphones, so it was a skill to be heard by thousands of people in a stadium!

Sources: (Grunge)

Getty Images

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