25th^V March, in addition to the start of the Greek Revolution, also marked the resumption of the Olympic Games.

According to the old calendar, on March 25, 1896 (April 6 with today’s date), on the anniversary of the National Paleogenesis, the Olympic Hymn of Kostis Palamas and Spyros Samaras was played in the packed Panathenaic Stadium and the first page of a new Olympic history was written.

Something else connects the Greek Revolution with the Olympic Games. This is Rigas Velestinlis, who, in order to excite the spirit of the Greeks, and also to remind the Europeans, whose descendants are the enslaved, translated the works related to the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. In the work “Neos Anacharsis” a chapter of seventy pages is connected with the Games of antiquity.

A small historical overview

The Olympic Games were officially abolished in 393 AD. emperor Theodosius, but in Antioch until 521 AD. the Olympics were held. Then sports competitions were held within the framework of Christian holidays. During the Turkish occupation, according to written sources, sport existed as a “folk occupation”. There are descriptions of competitions between robbers and charioteers (especially shooting) that took place on Pascha, on the feast of St. George and other Orthodox holidays.

After the liberation of Greece from the Turks, the Olympic heritage began to “illuminate” the soul of many Greeks. After all, the relationship of the newly created Greek state to its glorious past was a key priority, and sport was one of … links in the chain that overshadowed Falmereyer’s theory of the racial origin of the new Greeks. Among the supporters of the revival of the event was the scientist Panagiotis Soutsos.

“Where are the icons and statues, where are the beautiful Olympic Games,” he wrote in 1833. Minister I. P. Kolettis was one of those who supported the request of Soutsos to hold the games “in imitation of the old ones.” Colettis’ proposal, which was presented to the then Prime Minister and friend Otto Ignatius von Rudhart, included the construction of stadiums, hippodromes, as well as offering majors in science, literature, theater, etc. A year later, in 1834, gymnastics would become introduced by Royal Decree in primary schools.

Sports at that time and many years later were “travelling” and popular spectacle. At festivities and celebrations, the troupe, as I. Chrysafis mentions, from “professional athletes, weightlifters, acrobats and tightrope walkers, in archaic sandals, on Sundays and holidays, wandered around the city squares, demonstrating their physical strength and dexterity.”

These performances had hundreds of spectators, and when they were held in the Propylaea, many times King Otho and his court were among the spectators.

The “seed” of the Greek love for the sport, combined with the “heavy Olympic legacy” began to sprout. Emigrant businessman Evangelos Zappas at a meeting with Otho (1856) informed him of his intention to allocate part of his property to finance the revival of the Olympic Games.

Foreign Minister Alexandros Ragavis, according to Chrysafis, convinced the sponsor-philanthropist that industrial and social development was a priority, and thus Olympia began in 1859 as an industrial and agricultural exhibition institution. At the same time, the first games, known as the first “Zappia Olympics”, were held. The 1870, 1875 and 1889 Olympiads of Zappea were followed by the Fourth Olympiad.

The “tree” of the Olympic heritage began to bear fruit. This was facilitated by the archeology of various European aristocrats and intellectuals and, of course, excavations in Ancient Olympia.

Among them, Pierre de Coubertin, who in 1889 organized the world’s first congress on physical education as part of the Paris International Exhibition. This conference, according to the French aristocrat, will become a springboard for his Olympic dream. And didn’t fall out…

Five years later, on June 23, 1894, 2,000 people applauded his proposal to revive the Olympic Games in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University.

Greece was represented at this conference by the scientist Dimitris Vikelas, who had lived in Paris since 1878. The president of the Panhellenic Church, Ioannis Fokianos, was invited to the conference, but his duties prevented him from attending. Then the name of Vikelas fell on the table, who, when he was informed of the offer, in a reply letter thanked him for the honor and stressed that, although he had nothing to do with sports, he would represent the Panhellenic at the Congress until he was asked. to take part in competitions, because then “your association and the pan-Greek will be confused”.

And Vikelas may not have had anything to do with sports, but it was he who convinced the Europeans that the first Games should be held in Athens, and not in Paris, to honor the country that was their homeland. His proposal was accepted by the European Philhellenes and Dimitrios Vikelas became the first President of the International Olympic Committee.

The Sports Congress of 1894 also set the framework for the first Olympic Games. Among the rules were the holding of qualifying games, that the event would be held every four years in a different city, that the IOC would be responsible for the event, etc. The first modern Games were scheduled for the spring of 1896. The press of the time was enthusiastic about the idea. But the government of Charilaos Trikoupis, given the tragic economic situation, was in a negative mood.

Pierre de Coubertin visited Greece and formed an Organizing Committee chaired by the then successor Konstantinos. The revival of the Olympic Games, before they became a reality, went through many … pitfalls and pitfalls.

Vikelas suggested a lottery to raise money for the event, because “…the rejection of the Games in Greece will make the worst impression and the embarrassment will be great”, and the Acropolis newspaper in an article emphasized that the Games should be held to show foreigners that “… Greece of political parties has gone bankrupt, Greece of eternal traditions has not died and can overcome all difficulties.”

Vikelas managed to convince Trikoupis, who was overtaken by the development of events. His successor, Thodoros Dilijannis, supported the event and the Greek Organizing Committee, within 15 months and without any previous experience, managed to achieve an impressive achievement for that time.

Greeks from Greece and abroad offered money, Georgy Averof undertook to cover the cost of repairing the stadium (according to the educator and collector G. Dolianitis, he spent as much money as was then in the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and a series of sports stamps, at that time how the government also helped financially.

Start

25th^V March, the day associated with the start of the Greek revolution against the Ottoman yoke, was considered the most suitable day for the opening ceremony. After all, such a grandiose plan for an essentially newly created country that faced economic problems, experienced wars and cataclysms and tried to find its own … balance on the international chessboard, was … a revolution.

The opening ceremony took place at the Kallimarmaro stadium at 15.00. The address was delivered by the then Crown Prince Konstantinos and King George announced the opening of the event. The naval band and choir, led by Spyros Samaras, performed the Olympic Hymn composed by Kostis Palamas and Corfu composer Spyridon Philiskos Samaras. The Diploma of the Games was designed by the artist Nikolaos Gyzis.

The organization of the First Olympic Games lasted nine days. 311 athletes from 13 countries participated. Greece had the largest team (230 athletes), followed by the delegations of Germany and France (19 each). The program of the Games included athletics, wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, shooting, rowing, cycling and tennis. In these games, our country won 10 first, 19 second and 16 third victories. The first athlete was awarded a diploma, a silver medal and an olive wreath, and the second – a diploma, a bronze medal and a laurel wreath.

Our marathon runners Spiros Louis and Charilaos Vasilakos, Nikolaos Andrikopoulos (pole climbing), Ioannis Georgiadis (swords), Pantelis Karasevdas (200m rifle shooting), Ioannis Mitropoulos (gymnastic rings) excelled in this standings. For history, the first Greek Olympian was Leonid Pyrgos, the son of a gunsmith, who on March 26 defeated the Frenchman Perone in fencing. King George announced the end of the event.

Sources

I. E. Chrysafis, The Physical Education and Military Pre-Training of the Youth and Their Corresponding Organization, Bulletin of the Ministry of Ecclesiastical and Public Education, Athens, 1925

P. Samaras, Revival of the Olympic Games in Greece. 1797-1859 Athens 1992

I. E. Chrysaphis, Modern International Olympic Games, Athens, 1930

T. V. Giannakis, Zappias and Modern Olympiads, Athens, 1993.

Greek Sports, Historical Review 1896-1996, Thessaloniki,

P. Linardos, From Vision to Practice, Athens, 1996