mpete in the Games themselves. However, they could enter equestrianevents as the owner of a chariot team or an individual horse, and win victories that way. Thewinner of the first Olympic chariot and pair race is listed as "Belistiche, a woman from theseaboard of Macedonia." (Pausanias 5.8.11) Not only were women not permitted to competepersonally, married women were also barred from attending the games, under penalty ofdeath (except for maidens who were allowed to attend for the soul reason that an athlete cangain an extra prize).Pausanias tells the story of Callipateira, who broke this rule to see her son at the Games:"She, being a widow, disguised herself exactly like a gymnastic trainer, and brought her son to compete at Olympia. Peisirodus, for so her son was called, was victorious, and Callipateira, as she was jumping over the enclosure in which they keep the trainers shut up, bared her person. So her sex was discovered, but they let her go unpunished out of respect for her father, her brothers and her son, all of whom had been victorious at Olympia. But a law was passed that for the future trainers should strip before entering the arena." (Pausanias 5.6.8ff.)this exerpt came p. 126 from the official Olympic souvenir program of the 1984 games in Los AnglesAlso amazingly enough, athletic competitions for women did exist in ancient Greece.The most famous was a maidens' footrace in honor of the goddess Hera, which was held atthe Olympic stadium. There were 3 separate races for girls, teenagers, and young women. The length of their racecourse was shorter than the men's track; 5/6 of a stade (about 160 m.)instead of a full stade (about 192 m.). The winners received olive crowns just like Olympicvictors. But, these did not have the same value as one's that were given to the men. Woman's competition as the book Los Angles '84 put it, "child's play." In actuality this is theequivalent of a child playing during recess as to a profession...
