While the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris are dominating headlines and capturing the world's attention, it's important to consider this event from a different angle. It might be surprising to learn that the Olympics is not exactly what supporters of today's widespread popular culture portray it to be. In reality, there is a dark side to the frenzy. There is more to it than meets the eye.

To begin with, although shrouded in mystery, the origins of the Olympics were linked to Greek polytheistic beliefs. The Games consisted of rituals and cultural traditions devoted to Zeus, the primary deity in the Greek pantheon. Heracles (Hercules), Zeus' son and a demigod, is sometimes credited with a secondary role in establishing the Games.

The Games were named "Olympic" due to Olympus, a mountain where the twelve major Greek deities, led by Zeus, lived, and Olympia, a town in ancient Greece with a renowned temple of Zeus. It was in this town that the Olympic Games took place. The ground or arena where the Games were held was known as the Olympic Stadium. The Stadium was a novel form of temple where participants in the Games showed their willingness to go to great lengths and make significant sacrifices to honor Zeus and the other gods of the pantheon. Held every four years, the event turned into a religious, as well as national, pilgrimage of sorts.

The Role of Greek Humanism

However, as Greek humanism began to challenge the power and authority of gods, the Games shifted to a more human-centered approach. They served as a platform to display the remarkable abilities and potential of humans, emphasizing that individuals could dictate their destinies. Essentially, the Games started to prioritize humanity, diminishing the significance of the gods.

The new ethos was inspired by the founders of Greek humanism, particularly Protagoras, who famously stated: “Man is the measure of all things.” This implies that humans are noble and capable enough not to rely on the influences of mythical divine beings. It suggests that humans have evolved beyond a primitive stage and possess the ability to navigate their own paths. This epoch marked the beginning of placing human intelligence, emotions, and interests on a pedestal, as the sway of divinities faded into the distance.

This is why, when the Games were reinstated in 1896 during a period symbolizing the dawn of modernity influenced by the humanistic ideals of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment—which were originally inspired by Greek humanism that had been dormant for centuries—the reinvigorated Olympics had a bold mission. The goal was to display the advanced development of humanity and its mature position as the controller of its own fate and the circumstances of the world. This was not a mere fantasy or an act of boasting. There was a substantial scientific and industrial legacy supporting this notion. Religions and deities belonged to the past, becoming outdated concepts. If in the past gods were referred to as Olympians, now it was the people—the participants in the Olympic Games—who claimed that title.

Olympic stadiums were turned into temples of human ambitions, dreams, and aspirations. They became symbols of human fight for survival and supremacy. The Games remained significant pilgrimages for everybody involved, and the heroes were no longer divine beings but human Olympians: the performers, the victors, the risk-takers, and the record-setters. Their achievements instilled in humanity the belief that nothing was beyond reach and that human progress would ultimately lead to a state of perfection with ideal human conditions. As a result, the Olympians were greatly admired, generously rewarded, and idolized. They were celebrated as national heroes. By challenging and often surpassing the boundaries of human capability, they embodied both the ancient Mount Olympus and the town of Olympia.

Guided by this principle, when the Olympics was restored in modern times, the Games were intended to be inclusive, highlighting the universal excellence of humanity. Therefore, from 1912 to 1948, there were competitions in art, literature, music, architectural design, and urban planning. Similar to other events, participants in these categories also competed for gold, silver, and bronze medals. During its 1906 session in Paris, the Olympic Congress adopted the motto "art, literature and sport" (Ian Buchanan & Bill Mallon: Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement).

This point seems to be related to the first principle of the Olympic Charter, which states that “Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”

From the Greeks to the Romans

After the Greeks, the Romans took over as the torchbearers of Western civilization. The Romans, due to their style of governance, changed the Olympic Games from a competitive event to pure entertainment. This shift aligned with the Roman practice of "bread and circuses," a concept symbolizing how the ruling class controlled the population. The idea was to offer abundant food and entertainment to distract the masses from real issues affecting their well-being and the state as a whole. This approach of artificially keeping people happy and satisfied allowed the government to conceal its failure to address the genuine problems. "Bread and circuses" served as a facade behind which the government concealed its weaknesses and manipulated the prospects, all while avoiding dissent and potential uprisings.

The Olympics was still relevant, and the Olympians were regarded as venerated heroes. That was understandable because the Games and their central characters were crucial tools required to achieve a set of equally crucial objectives. The Olympians were the ambassadors of the government’s will. They were its extended hand, so to speak. Much of the government’s actions, or lack thereof, relied on harnessing the opportunities presented by the Games and their celebrities. These figures acted as calming influences, ensuring that substantial rewards in terms of both financial compensation and social standing were always guaranteed.

The Lamentations of Vitruvius

Vitruvius, a celebrated Roman architect and engineer from the 1st century BC, expressed his disappointment that beginning with ancient Greece, winners of events like the Olympic, Pythian, Isthmian, and Nemean Games were highly esteemed and provided with exceptional privileges. They “were not only greeted with applause as they stand with palm and crown at the meeting itself, but even on returning to their several states in the triumph of victory, they ride into their cities and to their fathers’ houses in four-horse chariots, and enjoy fixed revenues for life at the public expense.”

Vitruvius was taken aback by the unquestioned nature of the unfair treatment. He wondered “why the same honors and even greater are not bestowed upon those authors whose boundless services are performed for all time and for all nations. This would have been a practice all the more worth establishing, because in the case of athletes it is merely their own bodily frame that is strengthened by their training, whereas in the case of authors it is the mind, and not only their own but also man’s in general, by the doctrines laid down in their books for the acquiring of knowledge and the sharpening of the intellect.”

Vitruvius dismissed the notion that muscles outweighed brains and that short-term selfish accomplishments were better than lasting ones benefiting the entire world. He found it incomprehensible that Milo of Croton, a legendary ancient Greek athlete from the colony of Croton, was more celebrated than intellectuals contributing to the cultural advancement of all nations. Vitruvius said: “What does it signify to mankind that Milo of Croton and other victors of his class were invincible? Nothing, save that in their lifetime they were famous among their countrymen. But the doctrines of Pythagoras, Democritus, Plato and Aristotle, and the daily life of other learned men, spent in constant industry, yield fresh and rich fruit, not only to their own countrymen, but also to all nations. And they who from their tender years are filled with the plenteous learning which this fruit affords, attain to the highest capacity of knowledge, and can introduce into their states civilized ways, impartial justice, and laws, things without which no state can be sound. Since, therefore, these great benefits to individuals and to communities are due to the wisdom of authors, I think that not only should palms and crowns be bestowed upon them, but that they should even be granted triumphs, and judged worthy of being consecrated in the dwellings of the gods” (Vitruvius: The Ten Books on Architecture).

Tinting the Modern Olympics with Modern Problems

The Olympic Games were halted around 393 CE by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. The Roman Empire, after embracing Christianity, viewed the Olympics—replete conceptually and historically with elements of paganism—as conflicting with their new faith, which prioritized spiritual matters over physical ones. The decision to end the Games was seen as a form of religious and cultural cleansing, functioning as a way to make amends for past associations with paganism.

The Games were reintroduced in 1896. It is fair to say that the reintroduction of the Games was made possible because the modern man, inspired by a mix of Greek and Renaissance humanism, was moving away from heavenly canons. Christianity was the biggest victim. Having regained control over the direction of his civilization’s future, free from spiritual and divine moral constraints, the modern man adopted the most advanced forms of paganism in the shapes of modernism and postmodernism as his creed. Such notions as materialism, relativism, hedonism, and nihilism were its most direct corollaries and also manifestations. No surprise, then, that the seeds of all these worldviews can be traced back to the legacies of the Greeks and later the Romans. In passing, this evolutionary trajectory should receive more attention compared to its biological and socio-cultural counterparts.

With the return of the Olympics under a different context, the Games played an important role in the overall advancement of modernity and the attendant postmodernity, characterized by overwhelming disinterest in matters related to spirituality and the replacement of religion with diverse pagan practices. As a result, the Olympics became more complex in nature, encompassing multifaceted components and expressing various ideas.

It was somewhat naive to expect that the Games would not be influenced by the emerging modern phenomena such as nationalism, racism, gender issues, politics, and economics, among others. While celebrating humanity, the Olympics had to deal with human rights and human limitations, as well as human differences. In response to the interconnected nature of the new world, where vast distances were bridged by increasingly fast means of transport and mass communication was becoming easier, the number of countries participating in the Games increased. This was seen as proof of global interconnectedness.

In addition, technological advances made it possible for millions to attend the Games, while billions more could watch the events on television. A new form of competition emerged among broadcasters to secure the rights to broadcast the Games. Economic considerations and the huge flow of money into the Games transformed them into a veritable industry, influencing the relationship between Olympians and their teams, the overall atmosphere, and the manner in which the Games were presented to the world. The Olympics became synonymous with technological advancement, as the Games were sometimes used to display the most advanced technological products. The well-known Nazi propaganda film “Olympia,” produced during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, was a good example. The film used various sophisticated cinematic techniques, including groundbreaking technical achievements.

The Complexities of Modern Olympic Games

The modern Olympic Games are a mix of many elements. They possess humanistic ideals but also highlight different global issues, as the Games function in a world marked by both good and bad aspects. The Games show the human spirit, but they also reflect global conflicts and controversies. They serve as a way to unite people and encourage friendly competition, yet they can't completely avoid disputes and rivalries between nations. The modern Games emphasize how we have evolved, including our ethical standards and our focus on inclusivity and fairness.

However, they are not just about sports; they also deal with global economic interests, showing the significant role of money in modern sports and how it can shape the event's character. The Games face challenges such as doping, cheating, and other forms of corruption, pointing to ongoing struggles to maintain fairness and integrity. They are subject to various external influences, including political agendas and social issues. Despite these challenges, the Olympic Games strive to embody a global celebration of human excellence and the spirit of fair competition, aiming to inspire and uplift humanity.

Conclusion

The Olympics might have had their roots in ancient Greece as religious rituals for Zeus, but today, they represent the humanistic ideal of showcasing human potential and excellence. The event has evolved, balancing its noble mission with the complexities of the modern world, where economic, political, and social factors all play a role. Despite the challenges and controversies, the Games continue to be a global symbol of unity, achievement, and the enduring spirit of human endeavor.