-opening ceremony is a celebration of national culture

-prize is for first place only, an olive branch made of silver

-With the French Republic surviving its use of “Olympiade” to refer to national sporting tournaments continues

-In a spirit of republican internationalism, teams from the sister republics of the Batavian Republic, the various Italian states, and Helvetia join in and send teams to it along with all the French departments

-after France conquers the Venetian Republic and turns it into a few client states, one of them is the Ionian Islands - the Heptanesian Republic - bringing the game to Greece

-eventually Greek Federation forms around the Ionian Islands after Morea, other parts, form autonomous states that become effectively independent, ritual of bringing Olympic flame renewed

-when Italy breaks its alliance with France by signing separate peace in French Wars > Third French War (1847-1854), it ceases to participate in the Olympiads and effectively they become a national game

-following Laurentian Crisis Heads of Laurentia > 1886-1888 François Mercier (Société des Laurentiens Unis), also includes Laurentia

-following French Wars > Fourth French War (1880-4), talk under its augeis of establishing an international sporting event

-begins from 1888