The Olympics are being held in my country this time around and it's all anyone can really talk about. It's all over the television, the newspapers, everyone wants support for the London Olympics 2012. The torch even abseiled down the dock tower in the closest major town to me. I would have gone, but it was at some ridiculous time in the morning. (We won't mention the fact that the torch went out a few times on its trip around the UK).
"The oldest myth which concerns the beginning of the Olympic Games is that of Idaios Daktylos Herakles. According to other myths, Zeus, the father of humanity, fought and defeated Cronus in a struggle for the throne of the gods. Finally, the well-known demigod Herakles is mentioned. He staged games in Olympia in honour of Zeus, because the latter had helped him conquer Elis when he went to war against Augeas."
I visited Olympia on my trip to Greece and in our group we had a small little competition between ourselves, a little foot race and the winner was crowned with laurel leaves. The temple of Zeus has long been destroyed by an earthquake but of course the ruins are still there. The width of the column drums are about as wide as I am tall (5'4) which gives you some idea of the scale of the temple when it was in its full glory. Nothing less for the King of the Olympians though of course.
Holding my own games would be a little impractical but I feel like it is a good thing to offer my weekly exercise as a dedication to Zeus. So that I sweat in honour of him and his majesty.
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