The 37 venues for events will be somewhat scattered -- not only in and around Athens but in a number of more distant points -- but most events will be held at one of three or four locales. Preliminary events will be held in several cites elsewhere in Greece, including Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, and Iraklion, Crete.

Olympics Mascot--Olympics' mascots have become little more than a marketing "tool" -- above all, a way for commercial vendors to increase sales. For the 2004 Olympics, the Greeks came up with two mascots, Phevos and Athena. Phevos is the Greek name for Apollo, god of light and music; his sister, Athena, is of course the goddess of wisdom and patron deity of the city of Athens. The mascots themselves are two rather clumpy figures, based on ancient Greek dolls from the 7th century B.C. If not conventionally "cute," they are intended to be childlike and joyful, so let's not be spoilsports. By the way, they are owned and copyrighted by the Greek organizing committee, so some share of all money spent on goods bearing the symbol of the mascot as well as the official Olympics symbol does go to support the Olympics. Visitors are therefore urged to buy such products sold only in the souvenir shops displaying the official Olympics logo.