The Heraea was an ancient Greek festival in which young girls competed in a footrace, possibly as a puberty or pre-nuptial initiation ritual. The race was held every four years at Olympia. The games were organised by a group of sixteen women, who were also responsible for weaving a peplos for Hera and arranging choral dances.

Heraea or Heraia (Ancient Greek: Ἡραία) was the most important town of ancient Arcadia on the Lower Alpheius. It was situated near the frontiers of Elis, and on the high road from Arcadia to Olympia. Its territory was called the Heraeatis or Heraiatis (Ἡραιᾶτις).

Pausanias, the ancient traveller, refers to a female sporting event, the “Heraia”, a foot race in Olympia stadium, in which only virgin women participated —married women were not even allowed to attend the games. The race was established by Hippodameia on the occasion of her marriage to Pelops as an offering of thanks to Hera.

The Heraia were footraces held in honor of the goddess Hera in Olympia, Greece since early ancient times. The races were said to have been created by Hippodameia in gratitude for her marriage to Pelops .

2024年7月8日 · Some scholars believe the Heraia only involved local girls and women, but Scanlon thinks the Heraia involved free female athletes from all over the Greek world, just as the Olympics brought ...

2022年6月29日 · 虽然当时女性不被允许参加奥林匹克运动会，但她们有自己的专属比赛——Heraia，一项以希腊女神赫拉命名的跑步赛事。 这座铜像原本应为青铜器皿口沿处的装饰，塑造了一位参加比赛的女孩形象——她脚步坚实有力、大步向前，同时回头观察着身后对手的情况。

2023年1月10日 · There are few records that exist that discuss the Heraean Games, but they reportedly took place following the first formal Olympics of 776 B.C. (per the Greek Reporter). In similar fashion to the Olympic Games, the Heraean Games were held in the stadium in Olympia and were four years apart.

Os Heraia, ou Jogos Heranos, [1] eram jogos desportivos da Grécia Antiga reservados às mulheres e dedicados à deusa Hera, esposa de Zeus. [2] Tinham lugar em Olímpia e eram celebrados a cada quatro anos e ocorriam duas semanas após os Jogos Olímpicos.

The ancient Heraean Games, or the Heraia, were the first official games for women’s athletic competition to be held in the stadium at Olympia. Here is Pausanias’ description of the Heraia, from his perspective in the second century A.D.:

In this paper I shall analyze the feminine aspects of the cults celebrated at Olympia and how, when they are compared to the masculine aspects, they provide some of the essential keys to understanding Greek civilization Aside from some variations in degree throughout antiquity, Greek society featured a clear division of gender roles between wome...