Harper's Round Table, May 12, 1896

On the eve of the ancient Olympic Games, the town of Elis hums with athletes, spectators, and travelers from across the world. Near the sacred olive groves and the towering temple of Zeus, a cluster of white tents houses the Crotonian team, heirs to a line of champions. Eighteen‑year‑old Dion, son of the famed Glaucus, lies awake, haunted by memories of his ancestors’ victories and the pressure of their legacy. A rare, gentle gesture from his stoic father reminds him that love and duty are intertwined, setting the tone for the night’s restless anticipation.

Before dawn, the grizzled trainer Hippomaches tends Dion’s lithe body, easing stiffness and urging the youth to trust the speed he has honed. The runner, skin flushed from the night’s preparations, steps into the temple to swear the sacred oath that will seal his place among the competitors. As the first light brushes the horizon, Dion feels the pulse of the crowd and the whisper of the olive leaves, aware that the dolichos will test every ounce of his inherited strength and his own resolve.