Looking back on the history of Greece, one cannot help but be awestruck over not only the accomplishments but also the contributions that this ancient society has given the world.

We tend to be oblivious to things that surround us on a day-to-day basis. Did you ever notice how you take the obvious for granted? For example, you flip the light switch on and expect to have a well-lit room. You “expect” this because you’ve had this all your life. The same thing goes for plumbing – you “expect” clear water when you open the tap. But until a power outage or a water main break, you don’t really know just how much you took these things for granted.

I have, very recently, been involved in a study. Because of my involvement in the movement to re-enter the ancient Greek fighting art of Pankration as a sport to hopefully be considered for the 2004 Olympics to be held in Athens Greece, I was curious as to just how much the world has benefited from this centuries-old country. The more I learned, the more I realized just how little I knew. Just like the lights and water, I took so many things for granted, the obvious things – things like poetry, drama, physics, astronomy, astrology, medicine, oh yes, let’s not forget democracy.

All of these things and more were given to the world by Greece. Can you even imagine a world without any of these wonderful gifts? I use the word “gift” because that’s the only word I can think of to describe how the rest of the world received them! We were not charged to use them, they aren’t on loan to us, they were given to us so that mankind might better understand the universe and all things around us. What kind of world would you and I have without the aforementioned gifts?

A world without poetry and drama would be a world without passion. A world without physics and the study of astronomy and astrology would be a mindless universe. A world without the benefit of medicine would soon find itself extinct. And what about democracy? Could you live in a world where you dare not disagree with the political powers? We’d have chaos, anarchy, and civil war. Those of us fortunate enough to have been born here, or lucky enough to relocate here, can appreciate the life that we live in the United States. But let’s not forget the “origin” of these wonderful gifts.

Let’s look at the birth of the Olympic Games. During the Seventh Century B.C., Hercules and his five brothers left the area in Northern Greece known as Macedonia and traveled to Olympia. Along the way they reached the valley approaching the city. They challenged each other to a friendly race, and the end result of that competition was called athlos (achievement). From the word athlos comes the word athlitis (athlete), thus we now have “athletic achievement.”

This event may have been the first civilized competition of its time. The people of Olympia must have been tired of fighting amongst themselves to see who would control the wealth of the valley. After fighting for several hundred years, at the cost of thousands of lives, the rulers decided that it would be a very good idea to stop killing each other, and they should compete in a “civilized” manner. By putting forth their very best athletes in competition with all the others, they could decide, without bloodshed, just who was the greatest.

The Greek people had a tremendous respect for perfection, so sending their most perfect athletes seemed obvious. This may have been the birth of the Olympic Games. History tells us that over a period of about 1000 years (in intervals of four years) every nation traveled to Greece with their greatest athletes, each athlete was to represent their individual countries as the best they had. The competition was so noble that even if countries were at war with each other, they would declare a temporary peace so as to participate in “The Games.” The Greeks understood that by bringing nations together and learning about each other they were able to elevate civilization to a much higher plateau.

The Games flourished until the Second Century A.D., when all the world seemed to lose focus and ceased to embrace the true value of athleticism. Between 397 A.D. and 1896 there were no Olympic Games (which is why we call the current Olympics the “modern” Olympic Games). The art of Pankration was not included in the new/modern Olympics, there is no way for us to know for certain as to why, but we should remember the words of Socrates in reference to Pankration: “An th Olympia the aristo” (the greatest of all competitions in all of Olympia).

I have been to Greece several times and I am convinced that the first Olympians were so well trained and had such perfect diets that today’s athletes could learn from history, if only they would open their minds. I was also privileged to have been part of a small group that was taken to Delphi. I was told that the spot where I stood was the absolute center of the planet Earth. Considering all that we’ve received from this ancient society, it seems only fitting that if there has to be a center, it should be in Greece.

Let us not forget our origins!

* A special thank you to Nick Petmezas, Director, Hellenic relations U.S.A.F.P.A., for his valuable contribution to this column.