5 Days, 13 Events: The Olympic Games c. 400 BC by Prof Tom Stevenson

The Olympic Games endured for roughly 1000 years in antiquity and saw many, often dramatic changes. This talk will attempt a hypothetical reconstruction of the Games as they might have taken place at the end of the 5th Century BC (c. 400 BC). Thirteen events were held over 5 days. Competitors struggled in the shadow of famous forebears, like Heracles the demigod, Theagenes of Thasos, an outstanding boxer, and, perhaps the greatest of them all, the wrestler Milo of Croton, who is reputed to have carried a bull on his shoulders, before slaughtering and eating it on his own. Some tentative comparisons with events, athletes, and achievements of the modern Olympics will be attempted.

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