The Pentathlon started at the 18th Olympiad in 708 B.C.. There was five events: Discus, Javelin, Running, Jump and Wrestling.

Discus – made of stone, bronze, iron, or lead. It was thrown like a frisbee. Boy’s was smaller than men’s.

Javelin – man-high spear. It had a thong for a hurler’s fingers.

Running – there were four events in running: a stadion, a 2 stade race, a long distance race and a 2-4 race in full armor. A stade was the length of the stadium.

Jump – athletes used lead or stone jump weights (halters) shaped like telephone receivers and tried to see who would jump the farthest.

Wrestling – an athlete needed to throw his opponent on the ground, biting and eye poking were not allowed.

The modern pentathlon is different than the ancient pentathlon. The ancient contained events like foot races, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus throws. The modern pentathlon consists of horseback riding, fencing, shooting, swimming and running