Symbols from the Past

The present we share is based on the past we did share. This concept has been used for the legitimisation of the central authorities. The common past ensured by common ancestry proved the coexistence of the Greeks under the rule of a nation-state and helped to surpass the differences among them.

The organisation of the Olympic Games linked directly to its classical origins. Symbols of the classical past were used in a new - national - context.

Modern Symbols

Symbolism in the Olympic movement represents in a more understandable way the ideas of the Olympism: Fraternity, noble, contests, peace.

Coloured rings:

Every one of the five rings symbolised one of the five continents. The conjunction of the five rings symbolised the conjunction of the continents during the athletic events and represents the ideal of peace and brotherhood of the whole planet.

Flame:

The torch relay, starting with the flame lighting at acient Olympia and arriving at the hosting city, would be a strong link between the ancient Olympic sites and the modern Olympic cities. The flame symbolises the purity, which embodies the eternal youth of the Olympic philosophy.