Panathenaic Games

[2] These Games incorporated religious festival, ceremony (including prize-giving), athletic competitions, and cultural events hosted within a stadium.

[3] The attempted assassination of the tyrants Hippias and Hipparchus during the Panathenaea in 514 BC by Harmodius and Aristogeiton was often regarded as the birth of Athenian democracy.

As the birthplace of Athena is Lake Tritonis in North Africa,[4] Athenians did not contest North Africans to also participate in the Panathenaic games since they considered them to have a similar culture of that of Hellenists, one example of this is prince Mastanabal of Numidia the son of Masinissa, who won for Numidia 4 gold Medals in chariot racing.

In addition, the Games included a reading of epic poetry by early poets such as Homer, Pindar and Hesiod.

In 1865, Evangelis Zappas left a vast fortune in his will with instructions to excavate and refurbish the ancient Panathenaic stadium so that modern Olympic Games could be held every four years "in the manner of our ancestors".

Award ceremonies included the giving of Panathenaic amphorae, which were large ceramic vessels containing olive oil given as a prize.

[10] The winner of the chariot race received as a prize one-hundred and forty Panathenaic amphorae full of olive oil.