Archaeology Odyssey

The Greek word athletes means “one who competes for a prize (athlon)” and could refer to those who won symbolic prizes as well as prizes of material worth.

There are startling differences as well. Whereas the ancient festival was held in Olympia over a period of about 1,200 years, the modern games move around the world from city to city. The modern games, too, are much larger and more extravagant, probably the greatest secular gathering of peoples in the history of mankind. At the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia, for example, 10,651 athletes from 199 countries competed in 300 events, for which 6.7 million tickets were sold. And 3.5 billion people watched the games on television!

Articles by Jerome Eisenberg and other scholars appear in the September/October 2003 and January/February 2004 issues of Minerva.

See J. Harold Ellens, “The Destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria,” Archaeology Odyssey July/August 2003.

See H. Kenneth Sams, “King Midas: From Myth to Reality,” Archaeology Odyssey, November/December 2001.

See Tzvi Abusch, “Gilgamesh: Hero, King, God and Striving Man,” Archaeology Odyssey, July/August 2000.

These sites, recently studied by Italian archaeologist Annalisa Calapa, include Pasticcetto di Magione, Mandoleto and Colle Arsiccio near Perugia, in the province of Umbria, and a temple, spring and pool complex at Stigliano, in the province of Lazio. In the area of Chianciano, traces of a spring and temple have been uncovered at the site of Fucoli. However, the pool in Mezzomiglio is by far the largest found to date.

See Pamela Gaber and William G. Dever, “The Birth of Adonis? Cyprus Excavation Suggests a Connection Between the Greek God and the Hebrew Adon,” Archaeology Odyssey, Spring 1998.

See Denise Schmandt-Besserat, “Signs of Life,” Origins, Archaeology Odyssey, January/February 2002.