The Pentathlon (a combination of 5 events)

Table of Contents

• Origin
• Equipment
• Rules of the Game
• Characteristics of a Good Pentathlete
• Additional Information

Origin

The pentathlon was added in 708 B.C. in the 18th Olympiad and consists of 5 events: discus,javelin, long jump, running, and wrestling

Running and wrestling were also separate events in the Panhellenic games, but jumping, the discus, and the javelin were only held as part of the pentathlon.

According to mythology, the pentathlon was invented by Jason. He combined the five events, and awarded the prize to his friend Peleus (who had come in second in all but wrestling, in which he placed first).

Equipment

See discus equipment, javelin equipment, jumping equipment, and running equipment. (There was no wrestling equipment.)

Rules of the Game

The pentathlon was a combination of two types of events that existed in ancient world:

1. The light events: javelin, jumping, and
2. The heavy events: discus and wrestling.

There is much controversy as to the order in which the events were held, but it is known form the ancient texts that wrestling was last.

The problem of how the winner was decided remains unsolved as well.

Characteristics of a Good Pentathlete

According to Aristotle, "The pentathletes are the best, because they are naturally endowed with both strength and speed."

To participate in the pentathlon required a combination of qualities: speed, strength, skill, and endurance. These qualities were not always found in combination in competitors of each individual sport.