Published: 802007

Your alarm sounds just before dawn. You rise from your modest bed in your small dwelling in the Subura district of Rome, home to many plebeians.

After prayer and stretches, you head to the stadium where other athletes train. As a plebian, you lack riches or sponsors, so you rely on your own discipline and work alongside other commoners chasing glory.

A hearty breakfast of bread, olives and cheese fuels your practice - running, weightlifting and honing techniques. Though disadvantaged, you have heart, drive and innate talent that can overcome the odds.

You push each other to improve, compete and triumph - not for money but for the pure joy of sport and to bring honor to Rome.

When the heat becomes oppressive, you retreat to the baths, discussing opponents and imagining standing on the victor's pedestal with a laurel wreath. But you know any triumph must be earned through hard work.

The day ends as it began, with a humble meal shared among friends old and new. You dream of being called "Olympian", if only for an instant, and carrying that title for the rest of your days. The work continues tomorrow, as it has and always will.

For a plebian, sometimes the dream of glory is enough. Through sport, you and your fellow commoners momentarily leave behind the limitations of poverty and low birth - competing not as citizens of different classes, but simply as athletes vying to be the best human beings you can become, if only for an

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