Athens opening ceremony offers history and hope

ATHENS – Athens offered the world a joyous display of history, love and hope in a spectacularly successful opening to the 28th Olympics on Friday, celebrating the greatest aspects of humanity and casting terrorism briefly aside.

With the world embittered by three years of conflict and war, the birthplace of Western civilization symbolically returned to its roots in front of a worldwide television audience of billions. Eros, the God of Love, Centaur, the mytholocally half-man, half-horse creature that taught Hercules, as well as Greek philosphers such as Democritus, all featured in a rich dramatisation of Hellenic history.The field of the 72,000-seat Olympic stadium was transformed into a “sea” containing 2.16 million litres of water, representing the source of life.A boy sailing on the lake symbolised Greece as a small place with big ideas.For the next hour, an enthralled capacity crowd witnessed the best of Greek culture and history, including a magical parade of figures brought to life from Greek frescoes, sculptures, mosaics and paintings.Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos opened the Games, 108 years after the first modern Games were held in Athens, standing under an olive tree, the branches of which are a global symbol of peace.A performance by Icelandic singer Bjork representing the sea — ‘the proud mother of humanity’ — and a taped message by astronauts in orbit were yet more efforts by Greece to promote global unity.The march of 10,000 athletes from the 202 nations and territories competing at the Olympics was equally rich with symbolism.The United States’ athletes came to Athens fearing they would be the focus of international frustration over their government’s military actions and unilateral foreign policies.They walked into the stadium subdued and orderly after being instructed to tone down their traditionally flamboyant antics, but the crowd welcomed them with one of the biggest cheers of the night.An equally warm response was reserved for Afghanistan’s tiny delegation, dressed in bright green, pink and purple traditional clothing, as the war-ravaged nation formally sealed its return to the Olympic fold.Iraq’s team walked into the arena to a similarly generous ovation, as did their fellow global underdogs from the Palestinian territories.Athletes from North and South Korea, nations which have been technically at war for more than 50 years, also marched side-by-side.Many in the crowd, such as toga-wearing American Amy Robinson, were drawn to the opening ceremony in the face of terrorist threats as an expression for peace.”Some of our friends at home were worried for us but… this is the only thing in the world that is bringing everyone together and it is a time for celebration,” Robinson, 37, said before the ceremony.- Nampa-AFPEros, the God of Love, Centaur, the mytholocally half-man, half-horse creature that taught Hercules, as well as Greek philosphers such as Democritus, all featured in a rich dramatisation of Hellenic history.The field of the 72,000-seat Olympic stadium was transformed into a “sea” containing 2.16 million litres of water, representing the source of life.A boy sailing on the lake symbolised Greece as a small place with big ideas.For the next hour, an enthralled capacity crowd witnessed the best of Greek culture and history, including a magical parade of figures brought to life from Greek frescoes, sculptures, mosaics and paintings.Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos opened the Games, 108 years after the first modern Games were held in Athens, standing under an olive tree, the branches of which are a global symbol of peace.A performance by Icelandic singer Bjork representing the sea — ‘the proud mother of humanity’ — and a taped message by astronauts in orbit were yet more efforts by Greece to promote global unity.The march of 10,000 athletes from the 202 nations and territories competing at the Olympics was equally rich with symbolism.The United States’ athletes came to Athens fearing they would be the focus of international frustration over their government’s military actions and unilateral foreign policies.They walked into the stadium subdued and orderly after being instructed to tone down their traditionally flamboyant antics, but the crowd welcomed them with one of the biggest cheers of the night.An equally warm response was reserved for Afghanistan’s tiny delegation, dressed in bright green, pink and purple traditional clothing, as the war-ravaged nation formally sealed its return to the Olympic fold.Iraq’s team walked into the arena to a similarly generous ovation, as did their fellow global underdogs from the Palestinian territories.Athletes from North and South Korea, nations which have been technically at war for more than 50 years, also marched side-by-side.Many in the crowd, such as toga-wearing American Amy Robinson, were drawn to the opening ceremony in the face of terrorist threats as an expression for peace.”Some of our friends at home were worried for us but… this is the only thing in the world that is bringing everyone together and it is a time for celebration,” Robinson, 37, said before the ceremony.- Nampa-AFP