ἀγών · agón · the contest · the games
A Citizen Think Tank for the Olympic Movement
Reimagining the Olympics through ancient Greek values — rooting the Games permanently in the civilization that gave them to the world, and building a new architecture for peace, civics, and human aspiration.
The modern Olympic movement was built on the ideals of ancient Greece — the belief that competition, excellence, and shared humanity could transcend borders and build peace. Over time, those roots have been buried under commercialism, geopolitical maneuvering, and institutional drift.
"The Olympics are not merely a sporting event. They are the last universally recognized institution capable of embodying the ancient Greek ideal of the agon — the striving of the whole person toward excellence in the presence of humanity."
Agones (ἀγών — the Greek word for games, contest, and the gathering itself) was founded to rethink this inheritance. We are a Delaware-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank, operating at the intersection of ancient philosophy, modern policy, civic education, and international dialogue.
Our work is powered by research, public data, AI-assisted analysis of a century of Olympic history, and a belief that ordinary citizens — not committees — are the rightful stewards of the Olympic idea.
Agones currently operates two projects — one active and building, one under development — both aimed at permanently anchoring the Olympic movement in the European civilization that created it.
An introductory portal and advocacy project making the case for Greece as the permanent home of the Olympic Games.
Games to Greece features education on the ancient Olympic Games, Greek history, and a bridge to modern Greece — exploring why Greece is uniquely positioned, historically and practically, to serve as the permanent spiritual and physical home of the Olympic movement.
The project includes an online store featuring ancient Greek and Greece-inspired merchandise, which funds the think tank's research and development work.
A bold proposal for a permanent triage infrastructure for the Olympic Games permanently embedded in the European Union.
New Olympia envisions a distributed, permanent Olympic home across three cities — Athens, Paris, and Berlin — each representing a foundational pillar of Western democratic civilization. This tri-city infrastructure would end the nomadic, debt-generating Olympic cycle and create a lasting civic institution.
New Olympia is currently in research and concept development. Its launch will follow the Games to Greece initiative.