Amidst much pomp and circumstance, the world once again salutes the splendour of the human spirit.

In a sea aglow with a million lights, displaying 3,000 years of civilisation, the five Olympic rings were set ablaze, the torch was lit and the 33rd Olympic Games commenced.

And the gods on top of Mount Olympus smiled.

The precious ideals of their divine culture endure, persevere, and progress throughout history.

In a quiet valley, somewhere in Greece, lay the sleepy town of Olympia, which rose to become the centre of religious, political, and athletic activities in all of Greece. It was there that the first known Olympic contest was recorded. The foot race was held in honour of Zeus, the king of gods in 776 BC. Religious festivals of ancient Hellas, however, dated as far back as 1400 BC. Ancient Hellenic cities and tribes were always at war with each other, as humans usually do, so the wars were suspended every four hours, during the period of the Games. Wars could then resume after their athletic competitions.

Four national festivals developed, but Olympia ranked the highest, quickly becoming a cult region, a sanctuary for religious and cultural activities. All the buildings were either for worship or for athletics.

Ten months before the Games, all the male athletes journey to Olympia to undertake their rigorous period of training. A strict exam followed by a 10-member panel, which assessed their parentage, character, and athletic prowess.

As the Games approached, around the first full moon of the summer solstice, early in July, thousands of pilgrims, spectators, and visitors descended upon the tiny village, transforming it into a thriving metropolis, as we do today. The winner was offered an olive branch cut from a wild olive tree by a knife of gold, or be crowned by an olive wreath. No such gold was rewarded then.

The Greeks were not the first to cherish the spirit of sports and competition. Reliefs were manifest on the walls of tombs and temples of both Egypt and Mesopotamia. Wrestling, boxing, and archery date as far back as 3000 BC. Other ancient civilisations as Mycenaean & Minoan also practised sports, but it was Greece that refined and polished the art of competitive sports.

For 1,000 years Olympia was the site of the best that Greek culture had to offer.

With the Roman invasion, the Games experienced continuous decline. Slaves and animals replaced the great men of Greece. By 394 AD Christianity had spread and the Games were abolished by Emperor Theodosius I, known as Theodosius the Great (347-394 AD).

It was dark in Olympia. No Olympic Games were held for 1,500 years.

In 1875, a German expedition discovered the ruins of the ancient city of Olympia, destroyed by an earthquake in 500 AD. Buried under six metres of sand, no strangers had ever been allowed at the ancient site.

It was French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin who conceived the idea of reviving the Olympic Games to promote peace and love among the youth.

The International Olympic Committee was formed and the first Olympic Games were held in their original birthplace, at Athens, Greece in 1896.

For centuries people around the world had been touched by Greek culture, but once acquainted, every corner of the globe became inspired by the high spirits and principles of the Olympic Games.

Trumpets blared, canons boomed as de Coubertin opened the first modern Games, with 285 male only athletes, representing 13 nations.

De Coubertin revived all the noble traditions of the ancients. Thankfully, he drew the line at nudity.

Four years later, in 1900, the ladies were invited to participate.

The Games offer the spectacle, the variety, the colour, the excitement, and the drama.

It is not only magical. It is divine.

This year Paris once again offered a spectacular parade of 10,500 citizens, representing 206 nations, sailing together in a flotilla of 94 boats as they cruised down the river Seine for the Parade of Nations. The peace, unity, and harmony was palpable.

And the gods looked down from Olympus and smiled.

During the last century the Games have created an unforgettable gallery of heroes and heroines who left their perfect images imprinted in our memories.

In 1936, Jesse Owens, the Black-American athlete won an unprecedented four gold medals in “track and field”, spoiling Hitler’s party by destroying his false theory of Aryan supremacy.

Who still remembers the noble image of the barefoot marathon runner of Ethiopia? Abebe Bikila ran along Rome’s Appian Way in the dark of night to become the first African gold medallist in Olympic history in 1960.

How about the incredible 17 year-old swimmer Mark Spitz, who won two gold medals, as well as one silver and one bronze in 1968, in Mexico. Unhappy with his achievements, he returned to Munich in 1972, to win seven gold medals and set the world record at every event.

There were those Olympians who extended their horizons to even other stars, such as Norwegian skater Sonja Henie (1912-1969), four-time gold medallist who skated their way to Hollywood heaven. Likewise, Olympian swimmer, Johnny Weissmuller a five-gold medallist, became the legendary Tarzan on the screen, followed by Esther Williams of Bathing Beauty fame. Mohamed Ali’s celebrity was touched by the allure of Olympus.

The lofty ideals of the ancients continue and the gods continue to smile.

 

“There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.”

                  Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

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* A version of this article appears in print in the 1 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly