Spectators from all over the world gathered on one stage, leaving no empty seat in the great arena. Cheers could be heard throughout the stadium as athletes from different cities and towns filed out. These people, trained and ready, came from all over the country, gathered together in one place to compete against each other. This was not an easy competition. It is not only up to the people, but also to the gods, to see who will be declared the winner among those who call themselves the best over others. The moment the torch-wielding runner enters the stadium, everyone waits and watches with heartfelt anticipation. The cauldron is lit by the Olympic flame and the arena reverberates with applause and cheers. The games have begun. The ancient Olympic Games are considered divine because one of Greece's most important gods, the almighty Zeus, was dedicated to them and because of the time of cooperation it created without conflict between the feuding Greek city-states. Despite its role in uniting the city-states, it eventually disappeared due to natural and human intervention. However, it was brought back in the name of the modern Olympics, which to this day have recreated that sense of peace that ancient Greece was able to achieve in the days of its golden age. The ancient Greek Olympic Games were not ordinary games like the modern games. These games were held in honor of the Greek gods, particularly Zeus, so much so that the games were held in his sanctuary at Olympia for "ten centuries [776 BC to 394 AD]" (Callebat 555). At the time it originated from “funeral games, dances and ritual sacrifices, fertility rituals linked to the cult of Zeus” (Callebat 559). It was related to the f......center of the card......religious icons ""happier"" (Kyle 37). Winning through one's own strength and ability has to be one of the most important, if not the best, accomplishments these athletes have ever achieved. This is confirmed by a saying in Homer's Odyssey, "there is no greater fame for a man than that which he obtains by the work of his feet or the skill of his hands" (Kyle 37). The sentiment would be shared by both ancient Greek and modern Olympic athletes. The ancient Greek Olympic Games are said to be on par with the modern Olympic Games, despite whatever cultural intentions they may have. They are fundamentally the same at the core of their institutions. Despite the real characteristics of these games, they were able to create a unifying atmosphere, indirectly causing a pseudo-period of peace for everyone as the ancient Greeks and the modern world gathered to watch every time these games appeared.