Women In Sports: The Heraean Games

Hera was the goddess of marriage, family, childbirth and the protectress of women. The Roman counterpart of Hera was Juno. For the Romans, Juno was the protector and special counselor of the State. The month of June is named after Hera’s Roman name.

Some of the best known temples dedicated to Hera were the Heraion of Samos (that was one of the largest and most famous Greek temples), The Temple of Hera at Agrigento (one of the best preserved in Sicily), The temple of Hera at Olympia (which was one of the oldest monumental temples in Greece), the Temple of Juno in Rome (which stood on the Capitoline Hill, overlooking the Roman Forum)

It is very interesting to note that Hera is linked to the first ever official women’s sporting event: the Heraean Games.

Few people are aware of the fact that the ancient Greeks held athletic competitions for both men and women. These games were organized separately for each gender, much like today’s competitions. The most prestigious ones held for women were the Heraean Games, honoring Goddess Hera. 

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE HERAEAN GAMES

• The Heraea were held at Olympia, in the Peloponnese.
• They were held every four years.
• There were three different age categories for competitors, and young girls competed in a footrace.
• All sporting, religious and cultural events of the Heraea at Olympia were presided over and organized by a group of sixteen women from Elis.
• All athletes were unmarried women.
• All 16 members of the presiding committee were notable women of Elis, representing all 16 cities of the region of Elis, at the Peloponnese.

It is worth noting that the first recorded games for women, were held by the Ancient Greeks as early as the 6th century BC, and they were probably held in the Olympic year itself, prior to the men’s games.

Since the end of the ancient world, women were excluded from participating in most events of major importance, such as the Marathon Race, until as recently as the 1970s. Yes, you’ve read that right!

In 1972, the Boston Marathon incident involving Kathrine Switzer occurred. This event led to the abandonment of discriminatory policies, culminating in the first women’s marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It is worth noting that it took many centuries for the Western world to reach this milestone since the first official women’s athletic competition took place in ancient Greece. But, hey… better late than never.