Ἄριστον μὲν ὕδωρ, ὁ δὲ χρυσὸς αἰθόμενον πῦρ 
ἅτε διαπρέπει νυκτὶ  μεγάνορος ἔξοχα πλούτου

εἰ δ᾽ ἄεθλα γαρύεν
ἔλδεαι φίλον ἦτορ,
5μηκέτ᾽ ἀελίου σκόπει
ἄλλο θαλπνότερον ἐν ἁμέρᾳ φαεννὸν ἄστρον ἐρήμας δι᾽ αἰθέρος,
μηδ᾽ Ὀλυμπίας ἀγῶνα φέρτερον αὐδάσομεν…..

(ΠΙΝΔΑΡΟΣ, Ὀλυμπιονίκαις  Ι)

Water is preeminent and gold/ like a fire burning in the night/ outshines all possessions that magnify men’s pride. But if, my soul, you yearn to celebrate great games/ …/ look no further for any other star shining through the deserted ether brighter than the sun/or for a contest mightier than Olympia ….

(PINDAR, Olympian Odes I))

The first Olympiad was held in 776 BC at Olympia. The original values of Olympic games were excellence (“ἀριστεία”), fair play (“εὖ ἀγωνίζεσθαι”) and friendship (“φιλία”). It was at Olympia more than anywhere that bodily strength and the intellect were worshipped: “A healthy mind in a healthy body” (Noῦς ὑγιής ἐν σώματι ὑγιεῖ). Olympism was a philosophy of life. Olympism is a philosophy of life.

#AncientGreekPhilosophersbyaModernGreekPhilosopher