Let’s face it, women are no stranger to societal inequities, now and in the past. It should be no surprise, then, to learn that the women of ancient Greece were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. While unmarried women were allowed to watch the games, married women caught doing so could be thrown into a river. In response, women formed their own version of the Olympic Games, called the Heraean Games.
Sixteen women conducted and presided over the Heraean Games. While women were forbidden to compete in the ancient Olympics, it is unknown whether men were allowed to watch or compete. In fact, very little is known about these games, including when they were first held, though some believe it was around the time of the first Olympics, in 776 B.C. Little documentation of the Heraean Games exists, and the historical evidence we do have is heavily mixed with myths and legends – such as the first winner being Chloris, a granddaughter of Zeus.
The Greek geographer Pausanias, our best source on the Heraean Games, states that the venue was the same as for the ancient Olympic Games (Olympia, Greece). The Heraean Games were held every four years and running sports were the primary focus.
Women at the Games:
- Winners of the Heraean Games were awarded a wreath of olive leaves, and an animal was sacrificed in the name of the goddess Hera.
- Women competing in the Heraean Games wore a chiton, a type of short robe. Men who competed in the ancient Olympics did so naked.
- Although underappreciated at their time, participants in the Heraean Games set a fine example for today's female athletes, who can now compete in nearly every Olympic discipline that male athletes can.