The Greek Community of Melbourne will continue its 2026 Greek History and Culture Seminars this week with an online lecture exploring the sporting culture of ancient democratic Athens and the famous Great Panathenaea games.
The seminar will be presented on Thursday, June 11 at 7pm by Associate Professor David Pritchard from the University of Queensland, who specialises in Olympic history and ancient Greek sport.
Titled Competing for Olive Oil at the Games of a Warrior Goddess: Sport in Ancient Democratic Athens, the lecture will examine the Great Panathenaea – the major athletic festival staged by ancient Athenians in honour of the goddess Athena.
The presentation will explore why winners received thousands of litres of olive oil as prizes, why the games featured sporting events not seen at the Olympics, and how many competitions were closely linked to warfare and military culture.
The lecture will also provide a broader insight into the sporting world of ancient Athens and the myths surrounding Athena as the city’s warrior goddess.
Associate Professor Pritchard currently teaches Olympic history at the University of Queensland and previously worked on the cultural program of the Sydney Olympic Games.
He is the author of several books on ancient Greek sport, democracy and warfare, including Sport, Democracy and War in Classical Athens, and has held 16 international research fellowships across Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The seminar will be streamed online via YouTube and Facebook as part of the Greek Community of Melbourne’s ongoing cultural and educational program.
This week’s seminar is sponsored by Joseph Tsalanidis.
Event Details:
- Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
- Time: 7pm
- Location: Online via the Greek Community of Melbourne’s YouTube and Facebook
