The First Olympics

Released to coincide with the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, The First Olympics is a compilation of three programs originally shown on The History Channel. The first two hours purport to be different--the title program and "Blood and Honor at the First Olympics"--but in fact they're virtually identical except for their respective section titles, minor alterations in text and illustrations, and the fact that the second is narrated by Leonard Nimoy. Duplication aside, the content is interesting, combining observations by scholars, decently staged brief recreations, and photos and drawings of historical artifacts to examine not only how the original games were much more brutal than the modern versions, but also their deeper religious and political ramifications. The third program, entitled "The Greek Gods," is a perfectly acceptable, if fairly rudimentary, introduction to the pantheon of ancient deities, with solid segments on the cults of Bacchus and Asclepius in particular, but it adds little to the subject of the Olympics not already covered in the first program. Though well-produced, the redundant material on this disc is a perfect illustration of the old adage that more is sometimes less. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)