The Olympic Games: Ancient Austere Ceremony To Modern Hollywood Fiesta

The modern Olympiads proceed with deafening demands, loaded with thousands of things and glamor

This article is translated from the original Greek version found here [Ethnos.gr], and was written by Konstantina Goggakis (Associate Professor of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens).

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The opening ceremony of the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 caused the reactions expected by the organizers: Everyone is talking about it and about Paris.

Others inspired report enthusiastically fascinated by the result and ecstatic while others resentful are judgmental disappointed and apologetic.

And they express these conflicting and opposing views with the same passion. The ceremony brought France itself to the center as the protagonist so the goal was achieved.

It has been a long time since the ritual of ancient Olympia related to the holding of the Games included as symbolic events the sacrifices with the priestesses the lighting of the sacred and purifying torch the oath of the athletes etc. The ceremony with its austere character aimed to give thanks to the god of the feast and ask for his favor. After all the sanctity of the oath aimed at the moral obligation of the athletes to be holy so that they could conduct an honest fight. (See Pausanias Greek Tour 5.21.7: 'The athletic contest must be a contest of virtue and not a contest of money').