The games were for men only, and they performed in the nude. In theory, any Greek male who had not committed a crime or sacrilege could participate. In practice, athletes had to show up a month ahead of the games so judges could assess their ability, ethics and character.

 Overt cheating -- such as tripping up opponents in races -- sometimes occurred, but the invisible kind -- bribing an athlete to take a dive -- was more dangerous. Officials dealt with that threat by forcing cheaters to pay to erect bronze statues of Zeus on pillars engraved with their names, specific infringements and the fines they had to pay. Almost 23 feet of silt covered the sites here until they were excavated beginning in 1876, and the pillars in that hall of shame are once again visible.

 Much else will be visible this month, as new names come to the tips of our tongues, only to be forgotten next month. Is it consolation or threat that, despite all our technological advances, the Olympics are still the same old story, a fight for love and glory? The games do help us to recognize our human nature, for the fundamental things still apply, as time goes by.