Chapter Five
The Greeks
Οι Έλληνες
The serenity with which the Gods blanketed the sanctuary of Olympia in the morning belied the noise and intensity of the day ahead. It was thus every day.
When Stefanos and Kratos woke beneath their shelter, it was to the sound of birdsong, the sight of soft sun rays angling their way through the mist that drifted up the banks of the river Alpheios.
Once men woke and broke their fasts, the days were filled with the harsh voices of their trainers, and the grunts of exertion from the athletes. In the stadium to the east, the quick steps of the runners could be heard, along with encouragement from the sloping banks where a few scattered spectators and followers sat in comment. At the same time, a short distance away in the hippodrome, the thunder of hoo
