Ancient Olympia

A sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times. The most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece lies in the beautiful valley of the Alpheios river. Dedicated to Zeus, the father of the gods, it sprawls over the southwest foot of Mount Kronios, at the confluence of the Alpheios and the Kladeos rivers, in a lush, green landscape. Although secluded near the west coast of the Peloponnese, Olympia became the most important religious and athletic centre in Greece. Its fame rests upon the Olympic Games, the greatest national festival and a highly prestigious one world-wide, which was held every four years to honour Zeus. The origin of the cult and of the festival went back many centuries. Local myths concerning the famous Pelops, the first ruler of the region, and the river Alpheios, betray the close ties between the sanctuary and both the East and West.
 
Remains of food and burnt offerings dating back to the 10th century BC give evidence of a long history of religious activity at the site. No buildings have survived from this earliest period of use. The first Olympic festival was organised on the site by the authorities of Elis in the 8th century BC – with tradition dating the first games at 776 BC. The classical period, between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, was the golden age of the site at Olympia. A wide range of new religious and secular buildings and structures were constructed. During the Roman period, the games were opened up to all citizens of the Roman Empire. The 3rd century saw the site suffer heavy damage from a series of earthquakes. Invading tribes in 267 AD led to the centre of the site being fortified with material robbed from its monuments. Despite the destruction, the Olympic festival continued to be held at the site until the last Olympiad in 393 AD, after which the Christian emperor Theodosius I implemented a ban.
The archaeological site is located withing walking distance of the modern village called Ancient Olympia and it includes ruins from Bronze Age to the Byzantine eras. The site covers an expanded area of ruins scattered among low trees, as well as the ancient stadium where the Olympics took place. An impressive array of artefacts, which were unearthed during excavations, is on exhibition at the nearby Olympia Museum. At the archaeological site one can admire:

• The temple of Zeus. Zeus was compensated with a gigantic temple built between 470 and 456 BC, in the most prominent position of the sanctuary. It was the largest temple in the Peloponnese and became a model for all subsequent Doric temples, while its sculptures represent a milestone in the history of classical art. The temple housed one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the chryselephantine statue of Zeus by Pheidias. To make the over 12 m high statue, Pheidias worked in a purpose-built, on-site workshop, which resembled the interior of the temple where the statue would be placed. The finds from Pheidias workshop and ancient testimonies are all that we know about the chryselephantine Zeus; the statue was later carried off to Constantinople and destroyed by fire in AD 475.

 

• The temple of Hera. The first temple erected in Olympia around the end of the 7th c. BC was sacred to Hera not Zeus, who actually had to share the same roof with his wife for about two centuries. It seems that the temple also served as a kind of treasury, since within it were kept the disc of the Sacred Truce and the gold-and-ivory table for placing the winners' wreaths, while here was also found the statue of Hermes. In honour of the goddess were held the Heraia foot race, an athletic competition solely for women, who otherwise were not allowed to participate or even watch the Olympic Games. Today, the temple of Hera is the starting point of the Olympic torch relay: on the altar of Hera, in front of the temple, the Olympic flame is lit by reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror and then transported by a torch to the place where the games are held.

• The Ancient Stadium of Olympia. The stadium of Ancient Olympia was a holy place for the ancient Greeks, where all the sport activities were held dedicated to the god Zeus. Originally, the stadium was constructed in such a manner that spectators could view the events from the slopes of Mount Cronion. But the stadium was gradually moved further east, and eventually it was placed outside the temple of Zeus. The stadium had a seat capacity of 20,000 spectators and almost all seats were made of mud while only a few of them were created especially for the officials. There was a vaulted passageway that connected the stadium and the sanctuary. The ancient stadium also used to host the Heraia Games, which were games for women, held in honour of the goddess Hera. The racetrack of the stadium is over 200 meters long and nearly 30 to 34 meters wide. The starting and finishing lines are indicated by two stone markers, which are about 193 meters apart. The south bank of the stadium was the podium for the judges, while on the north bank there was an altar dedicated to the priestess of goddess Demeter, who was the only woman allowed to watch the games. In 2004, the ancient stadium revived its ancient glory, when the hammer throw event of the Athens Olympics was held here.

 

• The Bouleuterion. It was the seat of the Olympic Boule, namely the supreme administrative authority of the sanctuary and the equivalent of the contemporary organising committee of the games. The Olympic Boule was formed by the council of the citizens of the neighbouring Elis, which unlike what happens today, was the one and only host city of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Boule also appointed the Hellanodikes, the judges responsible for the orderly conduct of the games, for upholding the rules and punishing the offenders, but also for crowning the winners.

 

• The palaestra. The palaestra is an ancient edifice in Olympia, part of the gymnasium at the sanctuary. It is a sixty-six metre by sixty-six metre, or 4345 metre square building that dates to the end of the 3rd or beginning of the 2nd century BC. It is thought to be a building in ancient Greece that was devoted to the training of wrestlers and other athletes.

 

• Altar of Hera. The Altar of Hera is where the Olympic flame is lit. The ritual of the Lighting of the Flame starts from the Altar of Hera, in front of the goddess’s temple (Heraion), which is opposite to the Temple of Zeus, at the archaeological site of Olympia. According to the Ancient Myth of Prometheus, who stole the power of fire from the Zeus, fire is the symbol of life, rationalism and freedom as well as inventiveness.

 

• Archaeological Museum. Ancient Olympia is the birthplace of the Olympic Games and today the area is one of the most important archaeological places in the world. Several remains of Zeus temple and other sites can be seen in the open-air museum of the ancient site of Olympia. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most interesting and well-known museums in Greece which presents the historical development of one of the most important sanctuaries of the antiquity. The museum hosts a permanent exhibition with findings which date from the prehistoric to the early Christian years.

 

• The Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Olympia. The permanent exhibition of the museum displays ancient findings from several excavations, dating from the prehistoric times to the Early Christian period, whereas copper and stone inscriptions witness the way that the games were organized. Apart from the ancient art works, visitors have the chance to browse through a detailed visual material. The building complex of the museum has exhibition rooms, auxiliary spaces and storerooms both at the basement and the ground floor. Among the many precious exhibitions is the collection of terracotta from prehistoric, Archaic and Classical period, a collection of bronzes, a collection of sculptures from the Archaic up to the Roman period. The exhibition aims to present all aspects of ancient sports and to reveal important insight about the history of the Olympic Games.

 

• Modern Olympic Games Museum. The Modern Olympic Games Museum was founded in 1961 and the Hellenic Olympic Committee is responsible for its operation. The museum was based on the collection of Georgios Papastefanou, who was the first to believe in the possibility of spreading the Olympic Idea and Education through a museum. For this purpose, he donated a building, which is located in the village of Olympia, along with his rich collection to the Hellenic Olympic Committee. The museum contains rare memorabilia from the Modern Olympic Games, photographs, medals, diplomas, cups, etc., and a valuable collection of rare stamps. Various Olympic Committees and individuals have donated items which admirably complement the Museum collection.

 

• Museum of History of Excavations. Museum of History of Excavations in Olympia is located next to the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity, inside a small structure. The museum is dedicated to present the history of excavation in the city of Olympia that began in 1766. Apart from archived collection of documents and newspaper articles, the museum also presents an inventory list of daily excavations. Besides the documents, the museum also comprises collection of artifacts from such as instruments and other materials used during excavations. The photographic memoir of the excavation of Temple of Zeus is among the museum's prized possessions.

 

• Pierre de Coubertin's Monument. Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937) was a French pedagogue and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and considered father of the modern Olympic Games. Coubertin was the instigator of the modern Olympic movement, a man whose vision and political skill led to the revival of the Olympic Games which had been practised in antiquity. Coubertin idealised the Olympic Games as the ultimate ancient athletic competition. The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and the second, the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was buried in Lausanne (the seat of the IOC), although, in accordance with his will, his heart was buried separately in a monument near the ruins of ancient Olympia.