Greece Holds Olympic Flame Lighting (PICTURES, ancient style costumes)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040325/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_olympic_flame_12 ^ | 3/25/2004 | Qunn

[longtermmemmory]

Greece Holds Olympic Flame Lighting Thu Mar 25,11:54 AM ET

By PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Writer

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece - The flame that will burn at the Athens Games was lit Thursday amid the ruins of the ancient sanctuary where the Olympics were born 2,780 years ago.

AP Photo

AP Photo Slideshow: Olympic Torch

Olympic Flame Begins Trek Under Scrutiny (AP Video)

In a ceremony held at an altar to Hera, a Greek goddess worshipped in Olympia during the original games, the torch was lit by a Greek actress playing the role of a high priestess.

Thalia Prokopiou, one of two dozen women who participated in the ceremony, placed a silver torch inside a burnished-steel concave mirror for the sun's rays to ignite.

"Today the Olympic flame will be reborn yet again to enfold the whole world in its light. This is the day that all of us have been waiting for so eagerly," Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, president of the Athens organizing committee said.

During the ceremony, Prokopiou intoned a prayer to the ancient Greek god Apollo for the sun to shine.

"Apollo, god of the sun and the idea of light, send your rays and light the sacred torch for the hospitable city of Athens," she said.

Earlier, clouds had threatened the lighting as thousands of people gathered in the ancient birthplace of the Olympics to watch the ceremony.

The Olympics were born in Olympia in 776 B.C. and held every four years until the Roman Emperor Theodosius abolished them in the year 393 after Christianity took root and he deemed the games pagan.

They were revived in Athens in 1896 by a group led by a French baron, Pierre de Coubertin.

"The Olympic Games (news - web sites) are returning to their country of origin for the second time in the modern era. It was in Olympia that everything began and today that everything is going to begin for Athens 2004," International Olympic Committee (news - web sites) President Jacques Rogge said.

"Whether we live in a rich or disadvantaged country, the flame will unite us all," Rogge said.

Prokopiou's flame lit the torch of Greek javelin champion Costas Gatzioudis, the first bearer in an unprecedented global relay that will carry the flame around the world.

The journey will include its first trips to South America and Africa. The torch will be in the United States from June 16-19, stopping in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Atlanta and New York.

More than 11,000 torchbearers will carry the flame inside Greece and around the world. More than 3,600 will take part in the international portion of its journey, which includes 27 countries and covers a total of about 48,500 miles.

From Ancient Olympia, the flame will make a seven-day trip through southern Greece and will burn outside the marble Panathenian stadium, site of the first modern games, until June 4. It will then travel to Australia.

"It's the most interesting, most fantastic torch relay which was ever organized," said Denis Oswald, the IOC official in charge of preparations for the Aug. 13-29 games.

He said organizers decided to extend the Olympic torch relay because the distance from Athens to Olympia — about 200 miles — was too short.

Thousands of people gathered to watch the ceremony, most walking for miles because of tight security. The flame lighting and torch relay are being used to test some of the security measures that will be enforced during the Aug. 13-29 games.

Greece has budgeted a record more than $800 million for security and for the first time in the history of the flame lighting spectators were forced to go through metal detectors.

The ceremony was held amid continued international concerns about security and urgent delays facing key construction projects, including work at the main Olympic stadium and classic marathon route. Rogge and Oswald are to discuss the problems during their visit.

Rogge reminded organizers that only 141 days remain before the games begin.

"More than ever before, Athens and Greece will be the focus of attention for the whole world. Athens 2004 is really entering the home straight," Rogge said during the ceremony.

A number of Olympic champions will carry the torch on the Greek part of the relay, including Russian swimming champion Alexander Popov and Ukrainian pole vault legend Sergei Bubka.

"This is my first time. It's right in Greece at the heart of the Olympic Games, the Olympic movement. It's very honorable for me, very, very honorable," Popov said.

[longtermmemmory]

I have seen two of these. The are actually pretty
neat. Of course it is only a re-enactment. (For those in Riolinda,
there is no cult of Apollo outside of California and Battlstar Galactica (original) conventions.)




Ukranian pole vault legend Sergey Bubka carries the Olympic torch towards an altar in ancient Ilida, a town near Ancient Olympia, March 25, 2004. The journey of the metal and wood torch, carved in the shape of an olive leaf, will last 78 days and for the first time travel to Africa and South America. With 141 days to go until the August 13 opening ceremony, the torch ceremony, even if briefly, pushed to the background worries about delays in building Games venues and security worries because of international terrorism. REUTERS/POOL/Petros Giannakouris


High priestess Thalia Prokopiou lights a torch with the Olympic flame in the ancient sanctuary where the Olympic Games (news - web sites) were started in 776 BC. Olympic organisers heaved a sigh of relief when the Olympic torch ceremony went off on cue.(AFP/File/Aris Messinis)


Thalia and the flame : Actress Thalia Prokopiou, acting as high priestess, raises the Olympic Flame in the ancient sanctuary where the Olympic Games (news - web sites) were born in 776 BC. (AFP/Aris Messinis)

It is intersting to not the USA was born in 1776.



Greek javelin champion Costas Gatzioudis runs with the Olympic torch inside the stadium of Ancient Olympia where the Olympics were born in 776 B.C., on Thursday, March 25, 2004. Gatzioudis was the first torchbearer in the relay for the Athens Games. More than 11,000 torchbearers will carry the flame in Greece and around the world. More than 3,600 will take part in the international portion of its journey, which includes 27 countries and covers a total of about 78,000 kilometers (48,500 miles). (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)


A Greek special police sniper looks through binoculars inside the ancient stadium of Olympia before the lighting of the Olympic flame in Ancient Olympia where the Olympics were born in 776 B.C. on Thursday, March 25, 2004. The flame will burn at the Aug. 13-29 Athens Games. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)



This exchange happened near where the heart (literally) of Pierre de Coupertan (sp) is burried.
After he founded the modern olympics, he had requested
his heart be burried in Ancient Olympia.(not in the story, just been there)





Greek actresses, dressed in white robes as priestesses, dance in the ancient Olympia Stadium during the traditional Olympic lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia March 25, 2004. The Olympic Torch Relay started its trip around the globe, to last 78 days and more than 78,000 km before the beginning of the Games in Athens on August 13. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis


The first Olympic Torchbearer, Greek Javelin champion Kostas Gatsioudis, receives the Olympic Flame from highpriestes Thalia Prokopiou in the ancient Olympia stadium moments after the Olympic Flame was lit by the sun rays in a parabolic mirror during the traditional Olympic lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia March 25, 2004. The Olympic Torch Relay started its trip around the globe, to last 78 days and more than 78,000 km before the beginning of the Games in Athens on August 13. REUTERS/Dimitris Doudoumis

..



First Olympic Torchbearer, Greek Javelin champion Kostas Gatsioudis, runs past thousands of spectators through the ancient Olympia stadium moments after the Olympic Flame was lit by the sun's rays in a parabolic mirror during the traditional Olympic lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia March 25, 2004. The Olympic Torch Relay started its trip around the globe, to last 78 days and more than 78,000 km before the beginning of the Games in Athens on August 13. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou (R), dressed in a white robe as the high-priestess, gives the Olympic Flame to a priestess lit using the sun's rays in a parabolic mirror during the traditional Olympic lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia March 25, 2004. The Olympic Torch Relay started its trip around the globe, to last 78 days and more than 78,000 km before the beginning of the Games in Athens on August 13. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis




A Greek actress playing the role of a priestess releases a dove after the lighting of the Olympic flame in a steel concave mirror near the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia where the Olympics were born in 776 B.C. on Thursday, March 25, 2004. The flame will burn at the Aug. 13-29 Athens Games. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)



Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou, playing the role of a high priestess, lights the Olympic flame in a steel concave mirror near the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia where the Olympics were born in 776 B.C. on Thursday. (AP/Dimitri Messinis)

Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou, dressed in a white robe as the high-priestess, prays to God Apollo to send the sun rays to light the Olympic Flame in the ruins of the ancient Temple of Hera during the traditional Olympic lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia March 25, 2004. The Olympic Torch Relay started its trip around the globe, to last 78 days and more than 78,000 km before the beginning of the Games in Athens on August 13. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis



Greek actresses, dressed in white robes as priestesses, carry the Olympic Flame into the stadium after it was lit by the sun's rays in a parabolic mirror during the traditional Olympic lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia March 25, 2004. The Olympic Torch Relay started its trip around the globe, to last 78 days and more than 78,000 km before the beginning of the Games in Athens on August 13. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis







Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou, 2nd right, playing the role of a high priestess, walks with the Olympic torch raised after giving the flame to another priestess who carries it to the ancient stadium shortly after the Olympic flame was lit in a steel concave mirror near the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia where the Olympics were born in 776 B.C. on Thursday, March 25, 2004. The flame will burn at the Aug. 13-29 Athens Games. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)



























Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou, dressed in a white robe as the high-priestess, carries the Olympic Flame into the ancient stadium during a dress rehearsal at the traditional Olympic lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia March 24, 2004. On Thursday March 25 the official lighting ceremony will mark the start of the Olympic Torch Relay and will be the first to travel the globe in 78 days and more than 78,000 km before the beginning of the Games on August 13. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis








Sad to think the original olympic ideal was to set down
arms for a brief time for sporting events.
Must be a western civilization thing.



Workers assemble the Olympic rings at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, Saturday, March 20 , 2004. The Olympic flame will be lit in the town of ancient Olympia, southwestern Greece, on March 25 and be brought to Panathinaiko stadium, where the first Olympics where held. It will be burn at the stadium until June 4, when it starts a global journey across six continents 27 countries and 33 cities. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

(note: first modern Olympics were held.)

[GeronL]

Interestingly, the ancient Olympics were all-male and they were nude.

At least that what they taught us in gov't skool

[longtermmemmory]

Not all events just certain events.

Women were not allowed to attend the nude male events.

History is like the telephone game.

[ionian]

Noble ceremony, nice pictures.

[socal_parrot]

global journey across six continents 27 countries and 33 cities.

I would think they'll go through a few more cities than that. They'll probably have special ceremonies in those 33 cities.

Unless they mapped out the trip on Mapquest and chose the "avoid cities" option.

[Cicero]

Olympian 1
For Hieron of Syracuse, Single Horse Race, 476 B. C.

[str. 1]

Water is best, and gold, like a blazing fire in the night, stands out supreme of all lordly wealth. But if, my heart, you wish to sing of contests, look no further for any star warmer than the sun, shining by day through the lonely sky, and let us not proclaim any contest greater than Olympia. From there glorious song enfolds the wisdom of poets, so that they loudly sing the son of Cronus, when they arrive at the rich and blessed hearth of Hieron,

[ant. 1]
who wields the scepter of law in Sicily of many flocks, reaping every excellence at its peak, and is glorified by the choicest music, which we men often play around his hospitable table. Come, take the Dorian lyre down from its peg, if the splendor of Pisa and of Pherenicus placed your mind under the influence of sweetest thoughts, when that horse ran swiftly beside the Alpheus, not needing to be spurred on in the race, and brought victory to his master,

[epode 1]
the king of Syracuse who delights in horses. . . .

--Pindar

[IncPen]

[El Conservador]

Sorry for being your party pooper, but the US delegation should sit out these Olympic Games, and the next Winter Games at Torino in 2006.

Reasons:

1) Our athletes will be open prey for Al-Qaeda and other assorted terrorist groups.

2) Greece is a staunchingly leftist country, and the Greek commies won't miss the chance to make our athletes feel unwelcome.

3) This is a time where it is the US vs. the rest of the world, so we ain't that loved right now.

I'd wait for Beijing 2008... nah, make that New York 2012.

[longtermmemmory]

You are just bashing.

You missed the FR threads about the March 7 elections. They elected a conservative governemnt. The parlament has now gone from plurality conservative to clear majority conservative. This let the majority party select the prime minister without any coalition government.

The selected Prime minister is a US educated and Raised son of the founder of the conservative party.

Feel unwelcome? other than a compulsive urge to engage in hours of political discussion. (ala FR with ouzo) Greece is a nation which is dependent on tourism.

You comments only bash to bash.

ALL athlets are in danger. Iraqi and Afgan athlets are in their own world of danger. Since Munich there is always been a danger. Perhaps if the IOC knew that some psychos were going to start WWIV on 9/11 perhaps they would not have put the burden on the second smallest nation to host the summer games. But it is done.

The conservative government has wasted no time in asking for Nato help (in addition to additional help from the US)

As for the 5.6% of commies you refer, they are the vocal critics who never wanted the games in the first place. They WANT the games to fail, the WANT the US to not show. Commies are exactly like the Democrat Party, bad news for the nation is good news for them.

Perhaps if you spent a few months there you would not be so knee jerky.

Last point, this is not going to be on scale of the LA games no is it going to be the trillions spent by China. However it will have its own charms. Based on what I have seen there, I am looking forward to being there in person in August.

[ionian]

The Greek conservatives won the elections on March 7, and Greece is now ruled by conservatives. One of their first moves was to officially ask NATO to help with Olympic's security.