John A. Martino and Michael P. O’Kane’s historical novel ‘Olympia and the Birth of the Olympic Games’ takes readers to the dawn of an “ancient Hellenic civilisation” following the Greek Dark Ages. The meticulously researched novel which melds history, myth and creativity, is set at a time when Ancient Hellas is emerging from the Greek Dark Ages.
“The prelude to this book is that we [Greeks] went through something known as the Greek Dark Ages.
“Greece had regressed back to such a primordial state after the collapse of the Bronze Age.
“The novel begins as the Greek Dark Age are starting to evaporate – when a little gentleman called Homer is floating around – I have the audacity to bring him in… it could be several Homers… singers and poets stringing this constant story that probably starts somewhere in Central Asia and comes all the way to Ireland at some point,” says Martino.
The central protagonist, Pelops of Olympos, carries much of the narrative and embodies the book’s most repeated themes – enduring loyalty and the search for peace in 776 B.C.E.
The origins of the Olympics: A reprieve amidst war
The Olympics, since their rebirth in Athens in 1896, revived by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, have symbolised peace or a hiatus in war.
The desire for peace arose as the cost of constant conflict took its toll. Amid unrelenting war between Greek city-states, the Games emerged as a reprieve—a moment when belligerent states paused, if only temporarily, to compete in peace.
“The evolution of the book was originally a screenplay,” Martino says. His desire has always been to tell an absorbing, accessible story about the birth of the Olympics—a story that had never been explored as historical fiction before.
Olympia is thoroughly researched. “When we first brought this baby up several years ago, we entered protracted negotiations with the International Olympics Committee (IOC) through their HQ in Lausanne, Switzerland.”
He also notes that the IOC is “notoriously bureaucratic” and emphasises the delicate and time-consuming negotiations undertaken in the process of writing about the birth of the Olympics as a novel.
War and the legacy of civilisation
War is central to the great narratives of civilisation, from tribe to state, and ultimately empire. In an emerging Hellas, as light began to filter into the Greek Dark Ages, the city-states arose and constantly clashed. From this turbulent environment grew the desire for something different: peace, or at least a temporary reprieve from endless conflict.
For Martino, Olympia is a reflection on the human drive for peace and the lengths to which civilizations have gone to reconcile their violent nature.
“Even though the Olympics are combative, they are ultimately an institution designed for peace,” he says.
“The very act of ceasing war, even temporarily, represents a profound yearning for something better, something beyond the brutality of constant conflict.”
An exploration of Greek history and beyond
The novel is set during a time of great upheaval in Greece’s history, following the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization and the onset of the Dark Ages. Martino delves into this period, describing how Ancient Greeks regressed to an almost primordial state—so far back that reading, and writing were lost.
“It demonstrates to the reader that they just had to fight, you know, 400 years to pull itself out of its darkest known period.
“The rays of sunshine are becoming evident, as civilisation fights back against the darkness, and not just with Homer as the torchbearer of civilization, but also the Games themselves,” says Martino.
Importantly, the book shows the power of corrupt leaders who send the young to die for their own vanity and power. Leaders need to be moral because they are “psychosocially geared towards motivating young men to go out and do tremendous violence to other men” sats Martino. Olympia also explores the broader Mediterranean world. From the warring Greek city-states to Carthage and Egypt, the novel moves beyond Greece’s borders, offering readers a panoramic view of the ancient world.
“We’re expansive in our worldview and as one slides deeper into the chapters, the story expands well beyond the shores of Hellas.”
“From the Mediterranean, we go to Carthage – the Carthaginians come back and compete without conflict in the ancient Olympics – we make it apparent not just as a Pan-Hellenic institution, but also a global institution,” says Martino.
A personal connection to the story
Martino, Greek-Italian Australian, is both an academic and a former Australian Defence Force (ADF) veteran. His research into the cultures of conflict adds depth to his storytelling.
Martino has not seen combat but jokes, “I come from a Greek and Italian family, and I’ve seen plenty of conflict.”
His PhD on cultures of conflict and his deep interest in the psychology of leadership—especially how leaders motivate young men to violence—add complexity to the characters in Olympia.
“The Achilles trope is very powerful,” Martino says. He references Jonathan Shay’s Achilles in Vietnam: Trauma and the Undoing of Character, which connects the PTSD and “psychological scars” of war veterans to the ancient Homeric hero.
“Soldiers can be mercurial, and their relationships with their comrades are forged in the fire of conflict. It’s a bond unlike any other.”
The Olympics as a symbol of global unity
Martino’s novel highlights the Olympic Games as a unifying force. Though initially a Pan-Hellenic institution, the ancient Olympics eventually became a symbol of global unity—something Martino emphasises in Olympia. The novel not only brings the ancient Games to life but also portrays their role in creating a space where, despite the violence of their time, different cultures could find common ground.
“The Olympics are maybe the most unifying institution humanity has ever created,” Martino asserts. “Even though they are combative in nature, the very act of coming together to compete for peace makes the Games something more than just athletic events—they’re a testament to our shared humanity.”
The illustrated edition of Olympia is enriched with stunning illustration by Ekaterina Mironova, immersing readers in the echoes of cheering crowds on the skirts of battlefields.
The book is an ideal educational tool, and Martino is currently negotiating its inclusion in high school curricula. The Victorian Education Board is reviewing it for Year 11 and Year 12 courses.
“We’re hoping it will resonate with students, especially as we approach the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane,” he says.
A vision for the future: Writing and peace
Martino’s work is commanding storytelling—gripping and engaging with the past as an “act of historical imagination,” as he describes it. Olympia is also a meditation on the nature of war, peace, and humanity’s ongoing struggle to balance the two.
“Ultimately,” Martino says, “this is a story about peace—an attempt to find a way out of the darkness of endless conflict. It’s about the human desire to create something better, something more lasting than the devastation of war.”
As the Olympic Games continue to evolve and inspire new generations, Olympia serves as a reminder of their profound origins—a moment in time when, even amidst war, humanity chose to pause and seek peace.
