Greece - The Olympic Games from 1896 to 2004

By Mary Rowland
Through the years, the Olympic Games have managed to win their rightful place in history. They are still the highest ambition of athletes all over the world. Though the olive branch has been replaced by a gold medal and the exalting songs of the ancient world by tempting prizes for "the winners of the modern Games, the glory that comes from an Olympic victory remains exactly the same.
The modern history of the Olympic Games begins in 1896, and from then to now it has lasted through both difficulties and moments of sheer magnificence. The only Olympiads not to have been held were those scheduled for 1916, 1940 and 1949 due to the outbreak of the two World Wars. The honour of hosting the Games has always been great, but the task extremely difficult. The undertaking of the countries who organize the Games offers, each time, the opportunity for...
a different country to play host and thus promises a different dimension to the games. There have been many times when there were notable failures, but the creation of the Winter Olympics, along with the Paralympics for disabled athletes, brought the institution of the Games back to its initial form, giving it the breath of equality, social justice and human sensitivity. In addition, long before the introduction of these Games, the participation of female athletes had been established which came as a victory parallel to the, by then, still fresh appearance of the feminine movement.
Slowly, the concept of marketing and advertising came to complete and complement the organization of the games. It is said that the winners of ancient Greece, as well as the olive wreath, also received an amount of oil, the origin of which was announced loudly to the people of the area so that the victory of the athlete remained in the minds of the spectators along with the quality of the oil he was awarded.
Through glorious moments and critical comments the Olympic Games have never ceased to represent only one thing: Man. His life. His story.
Learn more about Athens Greece and take a look at some of the most wonderful Ancient Athens Pictures and the Map of Plaka Area, the most ancient neighborhood of Athens.
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