Spiros Louis
Spiros Louis was born in 1872 in Marousi, at that time a village near Athens. He was selling water in the nearby villages.  During his military service, he stood out due to his ability to run "faster than a horse".
Being a simple man with no particular education and special training, who always wore the Greek national costume, he became a legend. Many writers dedicated poems and hymns to him and the Press declared him a hero. Today his name has become proverbial, indicating somebody who runs extremely fast.
Despite his fame after the Games, his life was quite difficult. He worked hard to make a living while his wife faced many health problems. He was even imprisoned, convicted wrongly for forgery, but the wide public continued to support him. Soon, justice recognized his innocence and he was released.
Louis went to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin as the official representative of Greece transferring the Olympic symbol of his country, the kotinos, a wreath from an olive tree. This was his last public appearance. He died in 1940, and his name became legendary.
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