It was really a record-breaking event, with an attendance of more than 70,000 people at the stadium, some 4 billion people watching it in TV around the world and a total cost of 120 million Euros. Cultural roots of Greek civilization, better to say Western on the whole, were celebrated due to a great artistic mastery.

The celebration was subdivided into several stages, just like consecutive tableaux, being always marked by music, light and typical colours of Greece - blue and white from Hellenic flag above all - to represent philosophy, art and history of Greek civilization from the origins to the contemporary age.

Being preceded by frenzied solemn rhythms of 200 drummers, a fire cometh reaches the centre of the stadium to light up the five Olympic rings that lay over a huge basin of water symbolising the sea, the element from where the Greek civilization has come. And only a few seconds after, an enormous rock emerges from the water as almost invisible tie rods lift it in the air. The monolith is actually a Cycladic mask dating 2,700 b.C. a stylized face from Aegean islands where first forms of the Greek art took place.

Here comes the mythological creature of the Centaur, half-man half-horse, that symbolizes mental and body faculties. By throwing his javelin the mask crushes and an Archaic-age statue of kouros comes out (VII cent. b.C.). And it's not all. The kouros also splits up revealing underneath a sculpture of the Pericles' Classic age (V - IV cent. b.C.). Surrounded by a dreamy atmosphere in suspense, the thousands-of-year-old evolution of Greek art and civilization is drew in few minutes.

Then a cube rotating on itself comes on the stage while a man tries to walk on it. This solid figure is the symbol of Earth discovered by using logic, soul and knowledge…

Fragments of the statues, so far hanging on air, start sinking quietly on water just like Aegean islands, while from the centre an olive tree comes out as symbol of Greece and universal idea of peace.

In the following impressive parade audience's eyes were captured by the history of Greece from Hellenistic period to the first modern Olympiad. Outstanding samples of art and architecture became real through people dressing like Hellenistic statues, through Sparta's audacious black-'n-yellow buildings and, of course, through Athens' Parthenon. Discobolus represented the first Olympiad of ancient age, matched to the first one of modern age, also held in Greece, at Panatinaiko stadium in 1896.

The parade of delegations from all countries - with a record-breaking figure of 201 nations participating - lasted nearly two hours' time. The choice of the two Koreas to stay as one country was remarkable and it may hopefully lead to establish a new quality of relationship. Each national delegation was accompanied by a woman dressing like a stylized jar. Each country name was written in Greek, English and French, the official languages of the Olympic Games, and the presentation order was made by following Greek alphabet. St. Lucy Island ("Agia Loukia" in Greek) was the first country in the parade, Greece, as the guesting country, only the last one.

At the end of this emoting parade, all athletes joined each others with their flags in the middle of Olympic stadium, floodlighted by colourful lights. ATHOC President Ms. Gianna Angelopoulos Daskalaki and CIO President Mr. Jacques Rogge made the ritual speeches to announce the beginning of Games of XXVIIIth Olympiad.

At the end of the ceremony came to most emoting moment. The task of torch-bearer was first given to flying creatures moving to a stylized globe made by two wrapping stripes where all nations that have guested the Olympic Games were written. Then this sort of "Mercury", after carrying back the Olympic torch, passed the baton ahead to nowadays' athletes. Greek sailor Kaklamanakis ran to the top of the 30 meter-high stage where the Olympic brazier was standing. A festive colourful firework show stressed this culminating moment of the ceremony.
Olympic Games are now back in Greece. "Welcome home"! Let the Olympic Games begin in the name of peace and loyal competition.