The Altis, or sacred grove of Olympia, took shape between the 10th and 5th B.C, and was mostly devoted to Zeus, the father of all gods. Worship and sporting events were held here from prehistoric times, but was formalized in the 8th century B.C. by Iphitos, king of Elis, who instituted a "sacred truce". From that time on the Games were held every four years.
Instead of priests in purple robes leading a procession of athletes, trainers, ambassadors and spectators, our guides Nota and Lolita beckon us down the "Sacred Way". This main boulevard passes most of the important buildings of the site; the Palaestra in which athletes trained for wrestling and boxing: the Theokoleon which was the official residence of the priests: the Leonidaion, a guest-house for officials: and the workshop of Pheidias who created the gold and ivory statue of Zeus that stood in the god's temple.
Massive columns still rise across the vast area, while earthquakes have littered the ground with jigsaw-puzzle pieces of stone shapes gnawed porous by time and weather. Olive trees, once clipped for the winning wreaths, now protect visitors from the rain.
Unlike the modern Olympics, the sacred Games were not about breaking records, sponsorship and spectatorship. The primary motivation for competition was religious; a chance to present to the gods the perfection of the mortal form. Even in times of war the Games continued, with or without the crowds. And such a crowd - including peddlers, poets, priests, officials, visitors and athletes - numbered 75,000.
As we enter the stadium the sun comes out. Golden reflections fill the puddles, the birches gleam silver, and bronze falls from the sky with the autumnal leaves. It is like stepping back in time, such is the sense of space and energy. Facing you, a perfectly preserved level track 192 meters long and 28.50 meters wide, framed by gentle slopes which seated 45,000 spectators. Where the ancients once competed in races of one, two or twenty four lengths - some in full armor - now whole families of visitors are inspired to jog slowly. I think of my sister giving birth during the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and smile at our zodiac driver, Guillaume, who won gold in the 1976 Games. Despite being stamped out in 393A.D by the Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great and not revived until 1896, the spirit of the Olympic Games connects countless generations over thousands of years.
