Natural History: Inventors of Various Things

Pliny

ludos gymnicos in Arcadia Lycaon, funebres Acastus in Iolco, post eum Theseus in Isthmo, Hercules Olympiae;
Lycaon first instituted gymnastic games, in Arcadia; Acastus funereal games,at Iolcos; and, after him, Theseus instituted them at the Isthmus. Hercules first instituted the athletic contests at Olympia.