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Location of Olympia
(© Road Publications) |
Olympia, the cradle of athletic events in antiquity, from 776 B.C. up to
393 A.D. i.e. for more than a millennium, hosted the Olympic Games of Greece,
and, after the Roman conquest, the Olympic Games of the whole of the known
world, at that time. It lies in a picturesque, hilly scenery, framed with
pinewoods and olive groves; two rivers run through this area, Alfios and
Kladeos, adding to the beauty of the scenery.
Thirteen different sports constituted the Olympic Games, during their early beginning.
The winners received a wreath of olive leaves, symbol of noble rivalry and predominance
of the best. The truce that prevailed among city-states during the Games symbolized
their force and the influence they exerted both upon the Greeks and, later upon
all the Roman world, despite the fact that in the latter period their glamour
was decreased.
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| The ring of the Sikionians. |
The treasure of the Sikionians. |
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| The temple of Hera |
The Olympia stadium |
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| Engraving depicting Olympia before the excavations,
when the archaeological site was interred and accumulated mud from
the rivers Alfios and Kladeos covered the area. Excavations by the
German Archaeological Institute begun in 1875 and continue to date. |
Olympia was also a religious centre where the cult of Zeus and Hera prevailed,
and a large number of votive offerings were sent here from all over the world,
making this area magnificent for unique reasons. In the temple of Zeus stood
his statue of gold and ivory, one of the seven wonders of world.
The Romans looted many of the temple’s votive offerings, which were further transported
to Rome and Istanbul. After the Romans, the barbaric raids that ensued (3rd century
A.D.) caused, once again, serious damages inside the temple. The temple itself
served, for a few centuries, as a place of prayer for Christians and afterwards,
in the Middle Ages, big floods from the rivers Alfios and Kladeos buried it until
it came back to light when excavations by the German Archaeological Institute
begun in 1875; the excavations continue to this very day.
Today, the ruins of Olympia stir the visitors’ emotions, who, apart from enjoying
a walk around the Archaeological site, can also visit the museum of Olympia and
witness the ancient plastic arts and their historical development on the many
votive offerings discovered at the excavations.
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| Sculptures from the Pediments of the
temple of Zeus |
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| The statute of Hermes |
The statute of Nike of Paionios |
