Fire is one of the most famous symbols of the Olympic Games. A person who watched the opening of the Olympics saw an athlete appear at the stadium with a burning torch, and how a huge container - the bowl of the Olympic flame - lit up from this torch. This ceremony invariably evokes a storm of emotions. The fire must be on all the time during the competition. And when the Olympics are officially closed, the fire in the bowl goes out.
According to ancient Greek myths, fire was brought to earth from the sacred Mount Olympus, where the gods live. But it was not a gift from God at all! The titan Prometheus stole fire and gave it to people, teaching people how to use it. Thanks to this, people ceased to be defenseless against the cold and predatory animals, it became easier for them to live. For this, Prometheus, by order of the supreme god Zeus, was chained to a rock, and for many years an eagle pecked at his liver. These terrible torments continued until the great hero Hercules killed the eagle and freed Prometheus. Hercules, according to myths, initiated the competitions in the city of Olympia, devoting the games to Zeus in order to soften his anger.
Remembering the self-sacrifice of Prometheus, the ancient Greeks lit a fire before the start of the competition. Thus, they honored his memory. In addition, fire among the ancient peoples was a sacred symbol: it was believed that it “purifies” a person. Therefore, the ceremony of lighting the fire was supposed to rid both the participants of the competitions and the spectators who came to Olympia from all over Hellas from bad intentions. The flame of fire, as it were, emphasized the sacred nature of the competitions dedicated to the supreme deity, contributed to the peace announced at the time of the games.
When many centuries later, Baron Pierre de Coubertin and his associates revived the Olympic Games, fire was chosen as one of the symbols of the competition. Of course, no one believed in the god Zeus in the 19th century, but the revived Olympiad was supposed to promote peace between people. "You have to compete in stadiums, not on the battlefield!" - such was the principle of de Coubertin. And the flame of the Olympic flame reminds people of this to this day.
It is lit in the temple of Hera on the territory of Olympia from the sun using a special mirror. And then the burning torch on the relay race of athletes is delivered to the country where the games will be held. The runners, taking turns, bring the torch to the main stadium. And at the moment the flame appears in the bowl, the Olympiad is considered open.
