Judges could flog competitors with switches for violation of the rules.

The athletes competed nude - at least most of the time. In some eras a loincloth was worn.

The athletes rubbed olive oil on themselves prior to competing. The reason for this is disputed.

The specific events changed slowly over time.

Equestrian events were included.

There was no standardization of the length of the track from site to site and the same running event might have slightly different lengths.

Despite being a nautical nation, no water-based events were ever on the program.

All events were individual, no team sports.

There was no marathon race. Indeed, the story of a man running back to Athens from Marathon and dying after he gave his message of victory is not thought to be true. The distance of a contemporary marathon race is not the exact distance between the battle site and Athens.

We separate religion and sport. They combined the two. Olympia was a sacred area with several temples.

We separate art and sport; around the Olympic games were performances of music and rhetoric. At Delphi competitions in music and painting were included.

There were games at many places in Greece, not just at Olympia.

Events were sometimes divided between young and older men.

No record of times or distances were kept, only who won.

There were many stories of cheating and bribery from the ancient games.

Women couldn't compete - but at least once a woman entered a team of horses she owned and they won, giving her the right to call herself an Olympic winner. But there is some evidence of women's competitions.

it isn't true that women could not attend. Married women were banned but the priestess of the local cult of Demeter and unmarried women could attend.