As Greek Americans, there are many aspects of the Hellenistic culture we respect – including our fatherland’s place as the origin point of the Olympics. With global interest at an all-time high for the Paris 2024 Games, it is important to remember the historic genesis of the Olympics. This article will focus on the enduring nature of the world’s most highly regarded competitive event and why it should uphold the memory – and intent – of its origins.
The 2004 Olympics famously cost the Greek government nearly €9 billion to stage, netting only €2.1 billion in return. However, we believe privatizing elements of the preparatory efforts would help mitigate this, as well as drawing from an international commission for the Olympic Games. Would it be a logistical challenge? Yes. Would it stimulate the Greek economy, if done properly? Absolutely.
The 2004 Games represented a one-time, economically demanding investment for Greece. However, a continuous investment made over time, where the Olympics becomes a permanent fixture of the Greek economy, would yield significantly more favorable returns. An independent study recently projected between €6.7 billion and €11.1 billion in net economic benefits for the Paris region in 2024.
There are many more reasons why the Olympics should permanently return to Greece, both symbolically and economically. While I believe the spirit of the Olympics belongs to everyone, Greece has a clear birthright to its hosting, as it was in antiquity. The Olympics originated in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, a concept credited to Hercules. According to the legend, he formed the idea for the Olympics after completing his famous ‘12 Labors,’ which sought to put his fellow Greeks to the test. Hercules determined the Olympics would be held every four years, setting a precedent that would last until the modern day.
The Olympics have obviously since grown into an international phenomenon – a meeting place for Earth’s best athletes on the greatest stage – but it is important to remember the roots of the Olympics, and the purity of their traditional hosting in Greece. The ancient Olympic Games began as a religious and athletic festival. Of course, success ensued and its popularity spread, with numbers increasing and subsequently peaking in the 5th century BCE.
The 1906 Olympics produced this bustling scene in Athens, Greece.
It is interesting to note that the original intent of the ancient Olympics was to compete without the interference of national disputes. During the Games, all conflicts between participating city-states were postponed until the Olympics were finished. This cessation of hostilities became known as the Olympics peace, or truce.
Today, that sentiment remains on a greater scale. Per the 2024 Paris Olympics official website, “the goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympics spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”
Now, to the counterpoints. Greece has the bones of the infrastructure needed to host the Olympics from hosting it in 2004, but the more important question is whether it is realistic to do so again. Generally, the Olympics today are seen as a financial burden much more than they are an economic surplus. It has been said that Greece cannot afford the cost of hosting the Games as it sits now, and the country is already raising alarm bells on current levels of tourism stressing their infrastructure beyond its feasible limit.
It may be that Greece simply does not have the bandwidth to keep up with current levels of Olympic tourism, which is much higher than it was in 2004. Back then, 72,000 spectators gathered in Greece for the Opening Ceremony. In 2024, it was over 300,000.
The Olympics have a symbolic stake in returning to Greece, but feasibility remains a top area of concern.
If the Olympics were to be held in Greece regularly, the Games would need to become more exclusive than they are currently. For instance, events would likely need to be priced out of certain price ranges to reduce the number of people attending while still maintaining similar or greater income for the host nation. Additionally, Greece would need to find ways to address the glaring issue of the financial cost outweighing the potential revenue. Perhaps an Olympic fund could be established which all participating countries pay into, in order to cover operating costs.
As for the presentation of the Games going forward, KTE believes the Olympics are meant to be a celebration of physical strength and athleticism at its core. In its current form, the Olympics feature too many events such as breakdancing, synchronized swimming, etc.
Greece should seek a revival of the Games at home that focuses on the main feature sports of antiquity, like track and field. There is much to gain by keeping it in a pure form that balances the ancient Greek values of youth and excellence in sporting, while also allowing for it to be a robust cultural exchange with elements of modern athletics.
We believe the Olympics spirit is best honored and preserved in the nation that founded it, which remains deeply connected with traditionalism and its ancestry today. Centuries have passed; the Olympic Games remain immortal. A staggering 184 countries have athletes representing the 2024 Games. For many, our present day Olympics serve as the ultimate symbol of hope for our global society, and peace for our world. That image is best projected each year in Greece, the birthplace of democracy and philosophy.
In any case, let’s remember that the mandate for conflict cessation originated at the insistence of our Greek ancestors and resonated with some of the greatest minds humanity has produced. “It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.” -Aristotle