The ceremony took place at the ancient Temple of Hera in Olympia, in southern Greece.
- [Jamie McDonald/Getty Images]

Actors performed as Olympic priestesses and heralds before the torch was lit.
- [Milos Bicanski/Getty Images]

"High priestess" Ino Menegaki used a bowl-shaped mirror to catch the sun's rays and light the Olympic flame. The flame symbolizes purity, because it comes directly from the sun.
- [Jamie McDonald/Getty Images]

After lighting the Olympic torch, the flame was out in an urn and carried to the original stadium where the Ancient Greeks held the first Olympic Games.
- [Jamie McDonald/Getty Images]

The ceremony was attended by officials including London Olympic Games Committee Chairman Sebastian Coe, Spyros Capralos, President of Hellenic Olympic Committe, and President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge, who hailed the flame as "a beacon for the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect ... a symbol of fellowship and peace."
- [Milos Bicanski/Getty Images]

Greek Olympic officials said it was important to maintain the torch-bearing ceremony and relay despite the country's economic problems. Today's event was paid for by private sponsors.
- [Milos Bicanski/Getty Images]

The 2012 London Olympic torch is triangular, to represent the three times the city has hosted the games. It features 8,000 holes, one for each of the 8,000 torch bearers who will carry it around the UK.
- [Milos Bicanski/Getty Images]

The first torch bearer was Spyros Gianniotis, Greece's world champion 10km swimmer. A total of 490 Greek torch bearers will carry the flame 1,800 miles around the country before it is taken to the UK on May 18.
- [Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty Images]

The flame then passed to 19-year-old British boxer Alex Loukas.
- [Jamie McDonald/Getty Images]

The flame will finish its journey in the Olympic Stadium in London on July 27, where it will burn throughout the Games.
- [Julian Finney/Getty Images]