The long journey of the Olympic Games began more than 2,700 years ago. Records of Olympic history show that the ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece as early as in 776 BC. It was then that the basis of the Olympic Movement began to evolve into a philosophy of life: exalting and combining the qualities of body, will, and mind in a balanced whole. Out of this philosophy the Olympic Ideals were born, placing noble competition, sport, peace, culture, and education at the very core of Greek civilisation.

By 393 AD, when Emperor Theodosius abolished the event for being "too pagan," over 290 Olympic Games had been held. But despite the abolishment of the Games, the Olympic Ideals survived the centuries and were eventually revived by the French Baron Pierre de Coubertin. In 1896 the first Modern Olympic Games were held in Athens and since that time have been on a journey around the world for more than a century.

Now, at the dawn of the third millennium, the Games are returning to the country of their birth and the city of their revival. In 2004, Greece will be called upon to empower the Olympic Movement once again, placing sport at the service of peace.

The city of Athens will offer a unique Olympic experience in a safe and secure environment. An environment greatly improved through infrastructure projects as varied as the construction of modern competition venues and the development of a state-of-the-art transportation network. And it is through this kind of projects that the 2004 Games aspire to leave a lasting legacy to the people of Greece and the world.

Athens was selected as the host city of the 2004 Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland on September 5, 1997. On that same day, the Host City Contract for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad was signed. These events marked the beginning of a unique journey in the history of Olympism that will culminate in Greece from 13 to 29 August 2004. The Games are returning home to the country that gave birth to the Olympic celebration more than 2,000 years ago and the city that staged the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

Greece is one of the smallest countries to undertake the task of organising and hosting Olympic Summer Games. To respond to this challenge, the country has engaged in an organisational effort with the vision of delivering unique Games on a human scale.

The Athens 2004 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games is the body responsible for organising and hosting both the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games. To accomplish its mission and to ensure impeccable performance and functioning of all operational areas during the Games, Athens 2004 has joined forces with the Greek Government as well as with local authorities all over the country.

Athens 2004 cooperates closely with the IOC on all organisational matters and is in constant contact with International and National Sports Federations, as well as, with non-governmental organisations or other entities involved in the preparation of the Games.

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