Archaeological Museum of Olympia in the context of Temple of Zeus, Olympia

The Ancient Olympic pentathlon (Greek: πένταθλον) was an athletic contest at the Ancient Olympic Games, and other Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. The name derives from Greek, combining the words pente (five) and athlon (competition). Five events were contested over one day, starting with the stadion (a short foot race), followed by the javelin throw, discus throw and long jump (the order of these three events is still unclear), and ending with wrestling. While pentathletes were considered to be inferior to the specialized athletes in a certain event, they were superior in overall development and were some of the most well balanced of all the athletes. Their training was often part of military service—each of the five events was thought to be useful in battle.

In Greek mythology, Caeneus or Kaineus (Ancient Greek: Καινεύς, romanized: Kaineús) was a Lapith hero, ruler of Thessaly, and the father of the Argonaut Coronus. Caeneus was born a girl, Caenis (Ancient Greek: Καινίς, romanized: Kainís), the daughter of Elatus, but after Poseidon had sex with Caenis, she was transformed by him into an invulnerable man. Caeneus participated in the Centauromachy, where he met his demise at the hands of the Centaurs by being pounded into the ground while still alive.