The document summarizes the ancient Greek tradition of an Olympic truce. During this truce, which lasted a few days each year, all Greek city-states and other groups like Spartans, Athenians, and Macedonians would suspend war and hostilities to participate in peaceful gatherings that recognized their shared humanity. The truce was overseen by various officials like heralds, priests and priestesses, and was a brief but important period of peace among the otherwise warring groups.

2. For a brief period each year, wars and
hostilities were suspended by a sacred
truce, and all Greeks, Spartans and
Athenians, Corinthians and Argives,
Macedonians and Cretans gathered in
recognition of their common humanity.
This impulse toward peace, albeit
limited to a few days each year.

3. Switch Bearer

4. Trumpeter

5. Herald

6. High Priestess of
Zeus

7. Slave

8. Spartan Warrior

9. Priestesses

10. Judge

11. Truce Bearers

12. H Εκεχειρία (TRUCE)

13. The Fifth Nemead
There were 1,018 runners from 87
countries. In 2008 there were about half that
number of runners from 19 different countries.
The non-Greek participants were nearly a third
(32%) of the total.
Some 240 volunteers, mostly from
Nemea, plus others from around Greece and
around the world, helped with the preparations
and as the staff at the games themselves.