At the Shanghai World Expo, the Greece Pavilion is displaying ancient steles from the land's glorious history. The show has proved a valuable chance for visitors to have an close up look at some classical artwork from one of the world's most prominent ancient civilizations.

This exquisitely sculptured human form is carved in relief on a marble gravestone. Though eroded and damaged over the ages, the inscription is still clear enough to tell that the relic was made for an athlete some 2400 years ago. It's not hard to imagine from the fineness of the art work that athletes were highly praised and respected in ancient times in Greece. His gown covers his left arm and falls from the shoulder, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and harmony. His body was represented in perfect proportions, a result of the sculptor's adoption of an idealist approach.

In his left hand, the athlete is holding a scraper and a bottle of olive oil, which was praised by Homer as "liquid gold." Greeks used to rub themselves with olive oil while exercising in gymnasium. The practice served to excite the senses and highlight the beauty of the male body. From its beginnings early in the seventh century BC the decorative use of olive oil quickly spread to all the Hellenic city states. The practice lasted close to a thousand years despite its great expense.

The Ancient Olympic Games originated from the social environment of ancient Greece. It was first instituted as part of a religious festival held in Olympia in honor of Zeus. The athletes were from each city-state from every corner of the Greek world. The Ancient Olympic Games lasted for nearly 12 centuries before the Roman Emperor Theodosius the First ended the event in the late 4th century.