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Anyone who has
experienced a wild winter storm in the Alpheios valley
and seen the sky resplendent with blinding lightning, or
who has deen startled by a sudden mighty thunderclap on
a stifling summer's day, will have no reason to doubt
that this isolated part of the western Peloponnese is
indeed the most important Sanctuary of Zeus, wielder of
thunderbolts and father of the Gods.
One of the most important sanctuaries of antiquity,
dedicated to the father of the gods Olympian Zeus.
Olympia is the birth-place of the Olympic Games and also
where they were held.
The area, of great natural beauty, has been inhabited
uninterruptedly since the 3rd millenium B.C. and in the
late Mycenaean period it became a religious centre.
The sanctuary of Olympia spreads around the green wooded
feet of the Kronion hill, where the rivers Alpheios and
Cladeos meet. The valley amongst the two rivers was in
ancient times full of wild olive trees, poplars, oaks,
pines and plane trees and it was these trees that gave
the centre of the sanctuary the name Altis, meaning
alsos (grove).
Olympia was always functioning as a place of political
projection and the games often fell, especially during
late antiquity, victim to political exploitation from
important personalities like Philip II, Alexander the
Great and his successors. Romans, proving their
authentic Greek origin, also took part in the games,
after the total submission of Greece to Rome, but by
then the glamour and idealistic spirit of the games was
considerably weakened.
The temple of Zeus
The Doric peripteral temple, the work of the Elean
architect Libon is dated at 470-456 B.C.
It was erected on the southern part of the Altis, on a
free section of land. The dimensions of the Doric temple
were imposing, thus giving it an impressive image. On
the same level as the Heraion, the Temple of Zeus was
dominating the sanctuary due to its size, the stone
columns on its sides and the magnificent pediments with
sculptured compositions in the severe style, featuring
Zeus and Apollo as its central figures. The twelve
metopes of the temple depicted the labours of Hercules.
The Temple of Hera (Heraion)
A Doric temple dated to the end of the 7th century B.C.
The Heraion is one of the oldest examples of monumental
dimensioned temples in Greek architecture. Made of wood
originally it was a richly ornamented large building
with a three-aisled cella where the statues of Hera and
Zeus stood.
The Stadium
In its present day form it dates from the early 5th
century B.C. The track has a length of 212.54m and a
width of 28.50m. On the stadium's southern slope there
was a stone platform which was for the Hellanodikes (the
judges) and opposite was the altar to Demeter Chamyne.
The stadium held 45,000 spectators.
The Bouleuterion
Its is made up of two buildings which date from the mid
6th and the 5th centuries B.C. Between the two buildings
stood the altar of Horkios Zeus, where the athletes were
sworn in before the games.
The Philippeion
A circular peripteral building, which was begun by
Philip II after the battle of Chaeroneia (338 B.C.) and
was completed by Alexander the Great. It was used for
the heroworship of the Macedonian dynasty. The statues
were the works of art of Leochares.
The Leonidaion
This guest house was built in ca. 330 B.C. It was named
after its donor and architect, Leonidas of Naxos. The
building was where important foreign guest and officials
stayed during their visits.
The workshop of Pheidias
Built to house work carried out on the gold and ivory
statue of Zeus. In and around the workshop, tools,
terra-cotta moulds and other artefacts relating to the
work of the artist have been found.
The Palaestra
Erected during the 3rd century B.C. it was used for the
practice of wrestling, boxing and jumping.
The Gymnasium
Closed rectangular building with a large yard. Here the
athletes practised events such as the javelin, the
discus etc. Dated to the 2nd century B.C.
The Prytaneion
Dating from the beginning of the 5th century B.C. it
housed the Prytans (officials of the sanctuary). The
sacred Hearth with the eternal flame was privately
situated within.
The Treasuries
Megaron shaped small temples, dedicated mainly by Greek
cities and colonies. There are the remains of 12 small
temples, but only 5 of these are identifiable to any
degree of certainty; those built by the cities of
Sicyon, Selinus, Metapontium, Megara and Gelas. |
