==History==
The [[Ancient Olympic Games]], first held in 776 BC, was the precursor to the [[Modern Olympic Games]], although its first edition only featured a footrace and the number of sporting competitions expanded at later editions.
There were several other "games" held in Europe in the [[Classical antiquity|classical era]]:
* [[Panhellenic Games]]:
**''The [[Pythian Games]]'' (founded 527 BC) held in [[Delphi]] every four years
**''The [[Nemean Games]]'' (founded 516 BC) held in [[Argolid]] every two years
**''The [[Isthmian Games]]'' (founded 523 BC) held on the [[Isthmus of Corinth]] every two years
*The [[Roman Games]] – Arising from Etruscan rather than purely Greek roots, the Roman Games deemphasized footraces and throwing. Instead, the Greek sports of chariot racing and [[wrestling]], as well as the Etruscan sport of gladiatorial combat, took center stage.
Other multi-sport festivals emerged in the [[Middle Ages]] in Europe, including the [[Cotswold Olimpick Games]] in England in the 1600s, the [[Highland games]] in [[Scotland]], and the [[Olympiade de la République]] in France in the 1800s.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at multi-sport events were almost exclusively male. As international [[women's sport]] began to develop, events such as the [[Women's World Games]] and [[Olympics of Grace]] were held to allow women to engage in sport on the international stage. Though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over the course of the 20th century.{{Cite journal | last = Leigh | first = Mary H. |author2=Bonin, Thérèse M. | title = The Pioneering Role Of Madame Alice Milliat and the FSFI in Establishing International Trade and Field Competition for Women | journal = Journal of Sport History | volume = 4 | issue = 1 | pages = 72–83 | publisher = North American Society for Sport History | year = 1977 | url = http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1977/JSH0401/jsh0401f.pdf | accessdate = 3 September 2011}}