Tiberius and Anik
by Nifty Boy (niftyboy01@gmail.com)
Chapter 4: The Journey to Olympia
It was very late in the morning when the two boys slowly woke up. Anik yawned and stretched languidly. Anik's movement woke Tiberius too. He reached around him and gently rubbed Anik's nipple.
"I am so sorry...I forgot the time last night...I...I made you suffer" Tiberius whispered into Anik's ear.
"No...it was an incredible experience...I do not remember much anymore...I ceased thinking after a while...but I do remember that I have never spilled so much seed before in my live..." Anik replied.
"That you did..." Tiberius confirmed and let his hand glide down to Anik's abs which were sticky with dried cum.
They remained lying together for some time and caressed each other lazily until it was finally time to get up and leave. They went for a quick swim in the sea and then sailed back to the harbor. There they had a hearty lunch at the inn and wine and water. Late in afternoon - after a very slow and tranquil day - they want back together to the academy.
Anik of course accompanied him and they arrived together at the academy just when it was time for dinner. Both youths were beaming when they walked towards the dining hall, hand in hand. Tiberius had a big grin on his face when he saw the students staring at them. Tiberius and Anik were both wearing their necklaces, showing to everyone that Tiberius had claimed the boy.
Lacydes and Demetria came out and greeted and hugged both boys enthusiastically.
"Come, the food is ready. And now that you have claimed Anik he has to eat too in the dining hall" Lacydes stated.
The two youths sat down and started eating. The naked Greek boy pressed against Tiberius who had his hand possessively on Anik's thigh. After dinner Anik stayed for a while and chatted with the students but never left the side of Tiberius.
Finally Anik had to leave and after a long kiss they managed to part.
Tiberius soon slept deeply, even though he already missed Anik next to him.
The following weeks passed quickly. Lacydes was kind and Tiberius was one of his favorite students, but this made him expect even more academically from the Roman youth. Tiberius studied all day history and Greek, geometry and the art of rhetoric and much more. And while he did not excel in sports, he nevertheless gave his best during the daily four hours of physical education.
Anik visited nearly every day and they always sneaked away for a quick tryst behind the trees. But unfortunately the fisher boy had to go back in the evening to be able to go out to the sea early in the morning.
At the end of July Lacydes walked over to Tiberius who was struggling with a geometric problem.
"Your father has sent me a letter" he started.
Tiberius looked up, nervously expecting the worst.
"Do I have to go back to Rome?" Tiberius asked anxiously.
"No, no, not at all. He wrote that he wants you to strengthen your sinews and although he knows that you do not like sports, he hopes that your interest will be kindled by visiting the Olympic Games."
"The Games...?" Tiberius asked incredulously.
"Yes, in two weeks the games will take place, as they do every four years. Your father has sent sufficient dinars to secure you a passage so that you can attend the games" Lacydes explained.
"And you father was generous, the funds are sufficient for two" he added and smiled.
Tiberius jumped up and hugged the headmaster.
"I have already booked a passage for you two on the Poseidon, a cargo boat which will leave in two days for Pheios. Once in Pheios, it is just a one day walk to Olympia" Lacydes explained.
"And I am sure that Ariel will visit you again today so that you can tell him, perhaps behind the tree which you two love so much" he continued and grinned.
Tiberius blushed but continued smiling happily.
"I will tell him and will start packing"
Lacydes went back to the kitchen while Tiberius waited before the academy, on the lookout for Ariel. His lover soon arrived and was even more excited than Tiberius when he heard the news.
"Olympia...I always wanted to go there but could never afford it" he exclaimed and put his arms around the Roman's neck and wrapped his legs around his waist.
They kissed deeply while the boy clung to Tiberius, his naked body hot and smooth. Tiberius reached down and placed his hand on the boy's firm buttocks. Tiberius was grateful for the physical education at the academy. While Anik was slender, he was all muscles and sinews and not exactly light.
The two agreed to meet in two days at the harbor and after a bout of passionate and frenetic love- making Anik left for his hut at the beach.
At the day of departure Anik went early to Milos. The news that he would go to the Olympic Games had already spread through the village and all his friends came to congratulate him. Quite a few bought him presents, mainly jewelry for him to wear when he was in Olympia and when he would have the opportunity visit the famous temples of Zeus and Hera.
Soon he was wearing anklets and bracelets and a fine bronze chains wrapped around his neck. At long last he went to the small bath of Milos. Even though Milos was small it nevertheless possessed a bath where the villagers and sailors could go and enjoy a soothing bath, cut their hair and get a massage. Anik had fortunately saved some money and paid for a bath and an extensive massage.
He soaked in the water, and then scraped himself with his strigil. Once clean, he went over to the masseur. He reclined on a table and the masseur went to work. After thoroughly rubbing him down, he poured warm wax from honey bees over Anik's crotch and pits and legs. Even though the boy was nearly hairless, once the wax cooled and the masseur took it off, it pulled away all the fine hairs. Once his body was completely hairless, the masseur poured scented oil all over him and rubbed it in deeply. The entire procedure was very relaxing and Anik slept though most of it. The masseur waked him when he had finished, early in the afternoon.
Anik jumped down from the table and put on the anklets and bracelets and the headband. He hesitated to put on the neck chain since there he wanted to wear only the necklace made by Tiberius.
But he had an idea and divided the fine bronze chain into two parts, one which was long enough to wrap around his narrow waist. To it he attached the other part of the chain and pulled it down along his crotch and then wrapped it around is testicles and the root of his penis. It felt strange at first but soon he enjoyed the feeling. He got up and looked at the large, shiny bronze mirror. He slowly turned and looked at his reflection. He thought the color of bronze of his anklets and bracelets looked good on his golden tanned skin. The thin chain around his balls made them rounder and bulging and his penis jutted out slightly, emphasizing it subtly.
When Anik stepped out of the bath into the sun he glistened and sparkled. His skin was so smooth that, combined with the oil, the sunlight reflected off his flexing muscles as he walked to the boat.
Just then Tiberius arrived at the harbor too and spotted the waiting boat. He quickened his steps and looked around to see if Anik was already there. Then he stopped in his track and dropped his bag. He couldn't believe his eyes when he spotted Anik standing before the boat, half hidden by a few burly seamen.
Anik grinned and waved and walked towards Tiberius. Tiberius' mouth was hanging open when he watched Anik walking towards him. The oil which coated the boy all over gleamed like liquid mercury when he moved. Tiberius had never seen a boy like that and it took his breath away.
Anik stopped before Tiberius when he was about two arms' length away.
"Do you like it? I went to the baths and had myself oiled and waxed. And I received some presents from friends for our visit to Olympia."
He smiled happily and shook his arms and legs to make the rings tinkle and slowly turned around.
Tiberius then saw that attached to the waist chain just above Anik's cleft was another chain which went down the along the crack of the boy. Once Anik faced Tiberius again the Roman noticed that the end of the chain was wrapped around Anik's testicles and the base of his penis.
It was not very obvious and flashy and barely noticeable if one did not know that he was wearing it. But the chain around his balls and cock sometimes glinted when the sunlight fell on it and drew one's eyes towards the boy's genitals.
"Do you like it?" Anik asked him again when he saw Tiberius staring at his crotch.
"It is very beautiful. I have never seen jewelry like this" Tiberius replied.
"I made it myself. The chain was supposed to be wound a few times around the neck, but I wanted to wear only your necklace there. Then I had the idea to wear it around my waist and I had some of the chain left over."
Anik smile proudly and stepped closer to Tiberius so that his lover could examine the adornment.
Tiberius reached out and turned Anik around and let his finger glide along the chain at the boy's crack.
"Is it comfortable?" he asked concerned before he turned Anik around again.
Anik nodded then gasped when Tiberius reached down and cupped his balls. The boy's ball were perfectly smooth and slippery from having been waxed and from the scented oil. Tiberius smiled as he played with the boy's testis and let them roll and slide between his fingers. He was rewarded soon with the sight of Anik's penis rising in fits and starts. Soon he was erect and Tiberius let go of Anik's balls. He rubbed his finger against the fine chain around the base of the boy's phallus.
"Hmmm...now I can see it better..." he grinned.
"Does it not become too tight when you are erect?" he asked while he continued rubbing the root of Anik's cock.
"No...but now you have to help me getting soft again before we board the boat" Anik replied and quickly dragged Tiberius behind a big olive tree. They glanced around to ensure that they were hidden from view. Anik stretched his arms up and grabbed a branch of the tree and thrust his hips demandingly forward.
Tiberius laughed when he saw the obvious excitement of his lover. He quickly squatted before Anik and took his engorged member in. Anik started to thrust up and pressed deeper into Tiberius' mouth. Quickly Anik's breath became ragged and then he expelled his seed into Tiberius's mouth. Tiberius left his lips wrapped around the boy's shaft and sucked and swallowed until he was sure that his lover was spent.
He got up and kissed Anik and once Anik's cock was soft they stepped out behind the tree and walked together to the waiting boat.
"Did you bring any luggage" Tiberius asked when he lifted his bag with his clothes up.
"Yes, but I did not bring much, everything I need fit in a small leather pouch. I just brought my strigil and some scented oil."
Tiberius nodded, envious of the carefree attitude of his lover. His own bag was full of clothes and sandals and utensils and felt as heavy as a large stone.
The held each other's hand as they walked up a rickety plank of wood to the boat. There were already a number of passengers milling around. The two youths looked for a place to bed down. Most passenger slept on the deck and only the richest travelers had a cabin. They found a place that was not occupied yet and Tiberius put his bag down and sighed.
They watched as the sailors loaded all the goods and the boat prepared to set sail. The Poseidon was quite large but not as big as some of the warships which had space for hundreds of rowers. But it was sizeable enough and about 20 men's length long and 5 men's length wide and sported two masts for sails. It had a big cargo hold and a number of cabins for the senior crew and the rich travelers. The ordinary seamen slept in the cargo hold while poor passengers made do with any space they could find on the deck.
The two youths were too curious to just sit and watch and soon climbed down a stair to the cargo hold. It was a large, musty and half-dark space that comprised the largest part of the boat. They stood against the side so that they did not bother the crew which was loading the cargo and provisions. It looked like bedlam, with the crew screaming and shouting and running to and fro. But after a while the cargo hold was half filled with bags and amphorae, statues and food. The crew climbed up the stairs and the youths followed them.
They watched as seamen climbed up the tall masts to set the sails. Soon the huge sails were raised and filling with the wind and billowing. The deck was full with passengers and sailors who waved towards the people watching at the harbor. The boat started straining against the ropes that tied it to the pier. Sailors untied the ropes and with a creaking sound the boat scraped away from the wooden pier and started it journey eastwards towards Olympia.
Tiberius and Anik waved until they could not see the harbor anymore and then started chatting with their fellow passengers. Anik's outgoing and bubbly manner soon made him many friends. Tiberius watched as Anik circulated among the passengers and the crew. He noticed that quite a number of the ladies and a few of the men glanced and even stared at Anik.
Later Tiberius learned that going around completely naked was something that was actually very rare also in Greece. It was only sometimes practiced on a few of the more backward islands like Agistri, but even there it was quite unusual.
But nobody complained about the nudity of Anik. Tiberius had instead the impression that some of the stares were rather lustful. This left him with conflicting emotions. One the one hand he was jealous when he saw how other people lusted after his lover, but on the other hand he felt incredibly proud to be the lover of somebody so desirable.
He walked over to Anik and stood next to him. Anik did not lose time to explain to everyone the significance of the necklaces and that he had been claimed by Tiberius. While Tiberius blushed, his chest also swelled with pride and he put his arm possessively around his lover. After a while and with the help of Anik, Tiberius managed to lose some of his shyness and he started chatting with the passengers too.
Everyone was excited to go to the Olympic Games. It was an event which occurred only every four years and drew people together from all over Greece and many from the Roman Empire too. It was the only time when the bickering city states managed to suspend their quarrels and where everybody was only concerned about the heroes who were competing in the fields of Olympia.
The two youths were talking and laughing with a group of girls from Naxos. They were of course all unmarried, since no married woman was allowed to watch the games. One girl in particular, Chloe, flirted quite enthusiastically with Anik and was obviously not deterred at all by Tiberius arm around the boy.
Time flew and soon some sailors arrived from the galley with plates of food which they placed on the deck. The passengers sat down around the plates and started eating, everyone hungry from the excitement. Tiberius and Anik sat down with the girls from Naxos. Anik sat down cross-legged and the girl that seemed to be infatuated with him close beside him.
They all started eating and talking and laughing. Tiberius glanced again and again at Anik and noted that the girl had placed her hand on Anik's thigh. With time the hand moved higher and higher. The girl laughed and giggled, already slightly drunk from the weak wine they were all drinking. Soon she was leaning in towards Anik, her fingers brushing against the root of Anik's penis. His body reacted as any fifteen year old would and his member began jutting out proudly. The girl giggled and whispered something in his ear. Anik smiled and shook his head and whispered back to the girl and pointed at Tiberius.
The girls sighed and looked disappointed but then she smiled good-naturedly and nodded. She resumed her joking and cheerful chatting. Her hand went back to Anik's knee and after a while the boy's member softened and became flaccid again. Tiberius felt a warm glow spreading through his body when he realized that their love had been confirmed again. He could not resist and leaned in and gave a quick kiss on Anik's cheek. Anik smiled and turned his face towards Tiberius and kissed him deeply. Their tongues started playing with each other and both boys felt it difficult to break their kiss. Tiberius glanced down and noticed that Anik was fully erect, his hard phallus against his flat abs. Since Anik was sitting cross-legged his raging erection was obvious to all the girls from Naxos. They grinned and giggled and once the boys managed to stop kissing they were treated to innumerable jokes and lewd remarks from the girls. They giggled and whispered until deep into the night while all other travelers and sailors were already deep asleep.
Finally they yawned and decided that they had to go to sleep. Anik and Tiberius carefully stepped over and around the snoring passengers till they found their place to bed down. Tiberius took off his tunic but kept his loincloth on. He opened his bag and took a blanket out. They reclined and cuddled against each other and Tiberius covered them with the blanket. It took only a few minutes until they were deeply asleep.
It seemed like only minutes had passed since they had closed their eyes when noise and the bright light of the sun woke the two boys. They were the last one to awaken and many of the passengers were impressed by their ability to sleep through all the noise. Anik sat up and rub his eyes and yawned deeply. The blanket was bunched down at their feet and the boy had a very obvious morning erection. He smiled sleepily down at Tiberius who was still lying. Tiberius smiled back and was stuck again how cute the Greek boy looked, his eyes barely open and his raven-black hair tousled.
Finally even Tiberius managed to get up and they went to the area of the boat where the passengers conducted their morning ablution. They washed and wipe each other down and cleaned their teeth and soon were ready for the day.
The following days went by quickly. They talked all day with their fellow travelers and the boat made frequent landfalls at harbors to collect more cargo and passengers. Soon the deck was overcrowded but nobody minded since all were happy to have secured passage on the boat rather than having to do the arduous track overland to Olympia.
Finally the last day of their journey on the boat arrived. Both boys were standing at the bow of the boat and scanned the horizon. Suddenly Ariel cried out and shouted that he had spotted land. Everyone rushed forward to see it too. People talked excitedly and some already began to pack their bags. The two boys remained standing at the boat. Anik stood before Tiberius and started pressing back playfully, his naked buttocks pushing against Tiberius' crotch.
Ariel reached down and took his waist chain off.
"Can you put it in your pocket?" he asked Tiberius.
"Of course, yes..." Tiberius answered a bit confused and put the fine chain into a pocket of his tunic.
"I want you to breed me now" Ariel whispered nearly inaudible.
"This is such a special moment, I want you to make it even more special..." Ariel smiled excitedly at Tiberius.
The Roman youth glanced around nervously.
"Are you sure...here...before everyone...?" he whispered anxiously.
"It will be fine...nobody will notice...we just do it very slowly..." Anik replied and pressed back again insistently.
Tiberius sighed and reached slowly down under his tunic and pulled his cock out. He quickly let his tunic fall over his erection. The riskiness of what they were about to do excited Tiberius incredibly and his cock was already hard and stiff. He bent his knees slightly and then pushed slowly up. He felt his cockhead pressing against Anik's buttocks and then it found the boy's ring.
"Yes...penetrate me now..." Anik whispered back and started to breathe deeply.
Tiberius pressed up and felt Anik's muscles expanding around his cockhead. With a quick jab he breached Anik's ring. Anik winced, but then he started to press back. Tiberius felt his penis squeezing deeper and deeper into Anik until it was buried up to its root.
Anik bit into his fist to suppress his moaning. Both boys glanced around but nobody seemed to suspect anything. Tiberius moved his hips slightly and felt his cockhead pressing against the boy's spot. Then he started thrusting slowly and steadily in and out. Anik moaned barely audibly while Tiberius fucked him slowly. Tiberius put his hands around Anik's narrow waist to steady him and increased his force and speed slightly.
Chloe from Naxos was standing close to them and glanced at them quizzically.
Tiberius could not suppress a slight blush, especially when her eyes widened once she realized what was happening. But she just grinned and then moved closer to them so that their act was better hidden from the other passengers.
Tiberius smiled gratefully, and then resumed his slow thrusts. He reached around and place his flat palm on Anik's cock. He felt it pulsing and wrapped his fingers around it and started stroking the boy.
Tiberius continued this thrusting, slowly and unhurriedly. It was a completely different experience from how he mounted Anik usually. Until now, his thrusting had always been frantic and urgent, together with a lot of sweating and screaming and moaning. This time it was slow and deliberate which allowed the two youths to experience fully the sensation. Anik concentrated on Tiberius' thick phallus inside his rectum and how it slowly slid along his muscles and how it stimulated his sphincters. Whenever the flared cockhead of his lover pressed against his gland he felt a rush of warmth spreading through his body, slowly building up towards a climax.
Tiberius for the first time also felt every nuance of their act of love. He felt the warmth and tightness of Anik's rectum and even the slight folds and creases of Anik's rectal folds. The boat glided nearly silently on the flat sea so that Tiberius could even hear faint squishy sounds when he pressed his member deep into Anik's anus.
Slowly their excitement grew and Tiberius found it increasingly difficult to stay deliberate and quiet. He felt his orgasm slowly building up and from Anik's trembling he knew that his lover was close too. He started stroking Anik faster and pressed in even deeper. He began trembling and put his head on Anik's shoulder and then thrust one last time deep into Anik. He suppressed a moan, then his cock swelled and expelled his seed. At the same time, Anik convulsed and exploded too. Tiberius wrapped his hand around the boy's glans to catch his sperm. The youths trembled and ejaculated until their orgasms abated. Tiberius looked up and smile shyly at the girl who just giggled.
Tiberius waited for a while until he felt his cock softening and then let it slide out and quickly pushed it back into his loincloth.
Anik panted and then slowly calmed down.
"That was so good...but now we have to hurry" he gasped and pointed to the quickly approaching harbor of Pheios.
The two youths quickly went back to their bedding place. Anik sat down and leaned against a mast. He asked for the waist chain and Tiberius handed it to him. Anik wound it around his waist and then pulled the chain down along his crotch.
"Do you want to help me?" Anik asked.
The Greek boy spread his thighs wider, his feet close to his buttocks.
Tiberius squatted before Anik and pulled the bronze chain around the boy's balls. He cupped the boy's balls and leaned in to kiss Anik deeply on his mouth. He felt the boy shuddering and wincing.
"What is it?" Tiberius asked concerned.
He glanced down and saw a semen bubbling from Anik's ring. His sphincter quivered and then dilated to expel semen. After a while the flow ceased when his sphincter contracted again, a puddle of milky cum on the deck of the boat below the boy.
Both boys grinned and Tiberius quickly wound the chain around Anik's flaccid penis and clasped it shut.
Tiberius pulled Anik up and lifted his bag and they waked down the plank to the harbor of Pheios.
There were hundreds of people milling around the harbor. Everyone talked and screamed and laughed as they prepared to make their journey to Olympia. The trek took about one day for a fit person and it was early enough that it was possible to reach the Olympic valley before nightfall.
Tiberius and Anik stood with the girls from Naxos and observed the chaos around them. There were people from all over Greece and far beyond. Athenians, Spartans, Cretans, and many more from the Greek mainland and from all the far-flung islands was here. In addition there was a sizeable contingent of Romans, not only from Rome proper but from all over the empire. Most people were on foot but some had rented mules and horses and the very rich had their chariots being prepared by their slaves.
It was early August and the hottest time of the year so the two youths and the girls stood in a queue to fill leather bags with water. Already a few of the older and less fit travelers were lying in the shade with sunstroke. The queue moved forward slowly but finally they could fill their bags with water and they prepared to start their trek.
They looked back at the Poseidon but it was already leaving the harbor to make place for the next boat. Looking out to the sea they saw a long procession of ships, ranging from small fisher boats to huge cargo vessels which all waited to enter the harbor and to unload their passengers. The two youths had heard that about 100'000 people would congregate at Olympia, but it had been difficult to imagine what that really meant. But now they got an inkling of what they were to expect.
There were so many travelers that they even had to stand in line to enter the trail towards Olympia. While they waited several man approached them to inquire about the services that Anik offered. The Olympic Games were the best time of or prostitutes and rent boys and they congregated in their thousands at Olympia to ply their trade during the week of the games.
It was not farfetched of course to assume that a naked youth wearing genital jewelry was there to sell his body. But Anik gently but clearly told his suitors that he had been claimed by Tiberius who stood next to him, his hand clamped around Anik's buttock. There were no hard feelings and the men left, even though regretfully.
Soon they were at the head of queue and just before they wanted to enter the trail a large and luxurious carriage drawn by four black horses drove by. The carriage creaked and swayed and slowed down and stopped next to the two youths.
A curtain was drawn aside and an elegant elder man peered out.
"Do you want to drive with me? The journey is arduous and you will be more comfortable in my chariot" he suggested.
The two lovers glanced at their girls from Naxos.
"This is kind of you, but we want to stay with our companions" Anik replied, sounding somewhat regretfully.
"That is very proper of you and I understand. But perhaps you can all visit me in my tent at Olympia. Just ask for Appolonius of Chalcedon" the elder man replied.
"We will do that...and thank you again" Anik said and stepped closer to the carriage to shake the hand of Appolonius.
"I look forward to it. You are beautiful...and so is your lover...and of course your friends too" Appolonius replied and smiled at Tiberius and the girls.
He patted Anik's face, then let his hand lightly glide down along the boy's throat and let a finger brush against his nipple. He looked deep into Anik's eyes while he pressed lightly against the boy's nipple. Anik shivered at once. Tiberius saw astonished how Anik's muscles tensed and he became stock-still. Appolonius' finger continued its slow downward journey and finally stopped at the base of the boy's penis.
"You know how to dress nicely..." Appolonius chuckled when his finger brushed against the bronze chain around Anik's cock.
He pressed lightly with his finger and Anik felt a wave of heat flowing through his body. Within seconds his blood rushed down to his phallus and engorged it at once.
Anik's eyes went wide, not understanding what was happening to him. Appolonius squeezed and pressed Anik's glans lightly with two fingers. The boy moaned loudly and his legs nearly buckled.
Tiberius and the girls watched and were stunned, so quickly had Appolonius managed to make Anik completely excited.
"I understand that you and your lover do not want to share your love with others. But I can teach you two how to reach new heights of lust" Appolonius said to Anik.
Anik moaned silently and started panting and Tiberius quickly went to him to hold him up.
Appolonius let the tip of his finger slowly glide up and down along the vein of Anik's cock. Anik's breathing became ragged, then with shocking suddenness semen started flowing from his slit. It did not shoot out as usual with Anik, but came in a steady, pulsing flow. It came and came and flowed down along his rigid shaft. At long last, the flow became a tickle and then stopped.
Anik stared disbelievingly at Appolonius and at Tiberius.
"What...what happened...?" he stammered, clearly as confused as everyone else around who was watching.
"Come to my tent...I can show you much, much more" Appolonius replied and licked his finger.
He waved at them and then drew the curtain shut and his carried resumed it journey and rattled off.
Slowly Ariel caught his breath and his phallus softened.
"He did this...only with one finger..." Tiberius whispered and stared at the disappearing carriage.
Anik nodded, still shaken.
"Yes...it was as if I was frozen and a tingling went through my entire body ...it was so strange and I became so hot, as if I was burning..." Anik explained.
"You really have to visit Appolonius. Perhaps he can also tell you also how to pleasure girls?" Chloe suggested and grinned.
They all laughed and then started their trek to Olympia. It was quite steep at times and the youths overtook a number of groups who took it slower. As they walked up the steep path it became gradually cooler. In late afternoon they arrived at a ridge and could see the Olympic valley down below. It was lush and green and the air below was shimmering from the heat. They could make out the giant statue of Zeus and his temple as well as the temple of Hera. Tiberius had been reading up and was able to point out the different buildings. But it was not the ancient buildings and temples that impressed the youths most, even though they were famed throughout the civilized world. No, it was the people that they could make out in the valley. Their number was beyond counting. Even Tiberius who grew up in Rome was impressed. But for Anik and the girls from Naxos, who had rarely seen more than a hundred people together it was shocking.
People were everywhere. Long queues flowed by the different temples and sacred sites. There were large and gaudy tents, erected by the rich which were more like large houses. Those which were less well-off slept in smaller tents and many just sat down wherever they found a place. There was a river flowing through the village but it was largely dried up. All in all, there must have been at least 100'000 people in the Olympic valley, and still more were coming.
The youths looked at each other, then they started their ascent towards the Olympic valley.