The OLYMPIC ANTHEMThe Greek national poet Kostis Palamas wrote the poem 'Ancient eternal and immortal spirit' and its music was composed by Spyros Samaras for the 1st Olympiad where it was sung as the Olympic Anthem in the opening ceremony. At the later Olympics other anthems were played. The International Olympic Committee formally and unanimously adopted the Samaras-Palamas work as the official Olympic Anthem in 1958. When the Olympic Flag is raised in the opening ceremony, the Olympic Anthem is played and also when the Olympic Flag is lowered at the closing ceremony. The lyrics sung in English as the Olympic Anthem is:
Immortal spirit of antiquity,
Father of the true, beautiful and good,
Descend, appear, shed over us thy light
Upon this ground and under this sky
Which has first witnessed the unperishable fame.
Give life and animation to those noble games!
Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors
In the race and in the strife!
Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!
In thy light, plains, mountains and seas
Shine in a roseate hue and form a vast temple
To which all nations throng to adore thee,
Oh immortal spirit of antiquity!
Father of the true, beautiful and good,
Descend, appear, shed over us thy light
Upon this ground and under this sky
Which has first witnessed the unperishable fame.
Give life and animation to those noble games!
Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors
In the race and in the strife!
Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!
In thy light, plains, mountains and seas
Shine in a roseate hue and form a vast temple
To which all nations throng to adore thee,
Oh immortal spirit of antiquity!
The OLYMPIC FLAG
Baron de Coubertin designed the Olympic Flag in 1913-14. It has five interlocking rings (blue, yellow, black, green and red) on a white background. The ring's colours were based on the knowledge that at least one of these colours is on every flag of each participating country. The five interlocking rings represent the union of the five continents and the meeting of the athletes of the world at the Olympic Game.
The Olympic Flag was used for the first time in the 7th Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920. It is paraded during the opening ceremony of each Game. At the end of the Games, the Olympic Flag is presented to the next host city by the Games host city.
