Join UQ’s Friends of Antiquity for the June Sunday Series lecture ‘The Ancient Athenian Games that Rivalled the Olympics,’ presented by Associate Professor David Pritchard.

Step beyond the Olympic Games and discover the Great Panathenaea, the most important festival in ancient Athens, held in honour of the city’s warrior goddess, Athena.

Drawing on his research, Associate Professor Pritchard will explore the distinctive features of these remarkable games, where competitors took part in unique, non-warlike events not even seen at the Olympics, all in a bid to win vast quantities of olive oil.

Associate Professor Pritchard will unpack how these distinctive traditions reflected Athenian values, identity and democracy, offering fresh insight into a festival that rivalled (and in many ways surpassed) the ancient Olympics.

Event Details

Date: Sunday 7 June 2026
Time: 1:45pm for 2–4pm
Venue: Room E215, Forgan Smith Building, UQ St Lucia
Cost: $10 per person

Registrations are essential for this event.

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