updated 9:34 p.m. ET Aug. 13, 2004

ATHENS, Greece - With five rings ablaze in the middle of a manmade sea, the Olympics returned to its birthplace Friday in an epic homecoming heralded by a pounding heartbeat, a mythological centaur, and an array of Greek gods followed by the biggest parade of nations in the Games’ history.

“The Olympic Games: Welcome back to Greece!” an announcer cried to kick off the opening ceremony, which culminated with Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, a windsurfing gold-medalist for Greece at the 1996 Olympics, lighting the cauldron at the end of a slender, 102-foot arm that rose slowly over one end of the stadium.

It was a moment many doubted Greek organizers could pull off, after years of worrisome delays and constant pressure to bolster the most expensive security network ever at an Olympics.

The ceremony also closed an important circle in sports, from the games’ innocent rebirth in 1896 to the latest gathering of the world’s greatest athletes under 202 flags in an age beset by fears of terrorism and instability.

'We are ready'
“Greece is standing before you. We are ready. ... We have waited long for this moment,” said the games’ chief organizer, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, standing under an model of an olive tree.

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International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge urged athletes to “show us that sport unites by overriding national, political, religious and language barriers.

“We need peace, we need tolerance, we need brotherhood,” he said.

At dusk, a countdown video filled the screen at the Olympic Stadium — whose web-like canopy was bolted into place only last month. The numbers clicked down from 28: one second for each of the Games scheduled since the first modern Olympiad in an all-marble arena in central Athens. Each tick of the clock was accompanied by the amplified sound of a human heartbeat.

Then, with a blast of fireworks around the stadium roof, the ceremony was fully under way. Minutes later, the five Olympic rings were ablaze.

“We did it! We did it!” chanted a group of flag-waving Greeks in the stands.

Centaur and Eros
A sign of the security measures — a blimp with supersensitive spyware — floated overhead. Outside the stadium sat symbols of the delays: dirt expanses instead of landscaped paths, idle cranes, and trees planted just last week.

The spectacle of the opening ceremony — tradition mixed with Las Vegas-style fanfare — celebrated Greek history, culture and civilization.

After the burning Olympic flames subsided, a boy on a replica of a ship sailed into the arena, waving a small Greek flag. Then the centaur — the mythological half-man, half-horse — waded into the water and tossed a spear of light representing a javelin. From the center of the stadium rose a statue representing an ancient form from Greece’s Cyclades islands. The form broke apart to reveal other figures from Greek history.

The ancient god of love, Eros, flew above two lovers dancing and playing in the water. Then Eros hovered over a procession of figures from Greek history — from ancient vase paintings to a tribute to the Greek shepherd, Spiros Louis, who won the first Olympic marathon.

“The great moment has come!” cried the announcer in the stadium. Moments later, the parade of nations began with the appearance of Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas, who is seeking his fourth consecutive gold medal at the games.

Behind him more than 10,500 athletes streamed into the stadium.

Afghans, Iraqis cheered
There was huge applause for Afghanistan on its return to Olympic competition after an eight-year absence and with its first female athletes.

The entrance of the more than 500-member U.S. team — led by basketball guard Dawn Staley — drew cheers. But some people also stood and put their thumbs down in an apparent show of displeasure for the war in Iraq. Moments later, the Iraqis entered to a roaring ovation.

The Chinese team was led by 7-foot-6 Yao Ming, who towered over even other baskeball giants in the main stadium field.

Greece, because of its links to the ancient games, entered first, as usual. But, as the host nation, the more than 440 Greek athletes also were the last into the stadium — walking single file as the crowd chanted “Hellas, Hellas,” as the country is called in Greek.

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