Amid virus precautions, Tokyo Olympic flame is lit in Greece

flame for Tokyo Olympics was lit Thursday at birthplace of ancient games in a pared-down ceremony because of coronavirus.

Standing in front of ruined Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, a Greek actress playing part of a pagan priestess used a concave mirror to focus sun's rays on a silver torch, causing fire to spurt forth.

After a seven-day relay through Greece, flame will be delivered to Tokyo organizing officials next week at a ceremony in rebuilt ancient stium in Ans where first modern Olympics were held in 1896.

ceremonial part of Thursday's flame-lighting was held with customary mock-archaic splendor: Young men and women dressed in pleated robes, a prayer to Apollo — ancient Greek god of light — and dancing to flutes and drums under a splendid blue sky as blackbirds sang.

But fears of coronavirus forced Greek officials to ban members of public from attending ceremony and severely curtail number of invited officials and journalists. rmally, several thousand people from many countries gar on earn banks of Olympia's ancient stium to watch ceremony.

ancient games were held in Olympia for more than 1,000 years until y were stopped in early Christian times because of ir pagan past.