When the last crowds have dispersed from the Plaka in Athens and the television ratings have been scrutinized high in midtown Manhattan, the real hero of the 2004 Olympics will emerge. Not winner Michael Phelps, the swimmer who generously removed himself from a slot in a final competition to give another teammate a shot at gold, nor Natalie Coughlin, with her sparkling, multiple medals. Instead, the surprise star will turn out to be Athenian architecture, both Classic and Modern, which has outshone them all.

These Olympics had all the makings of a Greek tragedy. Until the last moment, it seemed as if the impossibly complex new Olympic Stadium would not debut for opening day. What was this small nation of 11 million people up to, commissioning such ambitious projects with drop-dead deadlines? Yet planners tightly clutched a trump card—the stadium’s roof had been fabricated off-site and dropped into place moments before curtain time. Ah, sweet victory, with applause and sighs all round.