DISCOVER THE ANCIENT SITE OF OLYMPIA
Olympia, a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi.
Altis was a location in what is today Peloponnese, Greece, on a little plain in the Elis Prefecture, on the right shore of the Alfeios River near the city of Pyrgos, around 18 kilometers away from the Ionian Sea and at the foot of Mount Cronion.
At first, it was a sacred forest where magnificent trees grew and within which, hidden in the center, was the Sanctuary of Zeus. Olympia was built on this site. The sanctuary, known as the Altis, consists of an unordered arrangement of various buildings.
Enclosed within the temenos (land dedicated to Zeus at Olympia) are the Temple of Hera (or Heraion/Heraeum) and Temple of Zeus, the Pelopion and the area of the altar, where the sacrifices were made. The hippodrome and later stadium were also to the east
To the north of the sanctuary can be found the Prytaneion and the Philippeion, as well as the array of treasuries representing the various city states. The Metroon lies to the south of these treasuries, with the Echo Stoa to the East. To the south of the sanctuary is the South Stoa and the Bouleuterion, whereas the West side houses the Palaestra, the workshop of Pheidias, the Gymnasion and the Leonidaion.
Olympia is also known for the gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus that used to stand there, sculpted by Pheidias, which was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Antipater of Sidon. Very close to the Temple of Zeus which housed this statue, the studio of Pheidias was excavated in the 1950s. Evidence found there, such as sculptor's tools, corroborates this opinion. The ancient ruins sit north of the Alfeios River and Mount Kronos (named after the Greek deity Kronos). The Kladeos, a tributary of the Alfeios, flows around the area.
 TEMPLE OF HERA
The Heraeum, or Temple of Hera at Olympia, is thought to be the oldest known example of Doric architecture. Dedicated to Hera, Zeus' wife, this temple stood inside the Altis area. The temple was originally built entirely of wood on a limestone foundation, around 600 BC. Gradually, the wooden columns were replaced with stone ones. There were 6 columns on each end and 16 columns along each side.
The cella, or main room, of the temple contained monumental statues in the Archaic style of both Hera and Zeus, a sculpture of the god Hermes which is generally attributed to the sculptor Praxiteles and dated around 340 BC, and many other sculptures. An ivory and gold table and other treasures used in the ritual preparation of the victory garlands for the athletes also stood inside the temple. We owe much of our knowledge of these items to the wanderer Pausanius' detailed descriptions.
TEMPLE OF ZEUS
The Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Greece was built between 470 BCE and completed by 456 BCE to commemorate the Elean defeat of the Pisatans in 470 BC and it was designed by Libon of Elis. It housed one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the monumental statue of Zeus by Phidias, which was added to the temple around 435 BC. The temple was destroyed by earthquake in the 5th century CE.
The temple was built from limestone and covered with stucco built on a raised rectangular platform of approximately 64 by 28 metres, with thirteen 10-metre columns on each side and six at either end. The temple was divided into three sections: the pronaos, naos and opisthodomos. The Statue of Zeus was located towards the back of the naos.
It was constructed in the doric order, with carved metopes and triglyph frieze, topped by pediments filled with sculptures in the Severe Style now attributed to the Olympia Master and his studio.
The east pediment, erroneously attributed to Paeonius by Pausanias, depicted the myth of the chariot race between Pelops and Oenomaus, with Zeus stood in the centre. The west pediment depicted a fight between the Centaurs and the Lapiths. Apollo stands in the centre, flanked by Peirithoos and Theseus.
A sequence of twelve metopes - six over the pronaos and six over the opithodomos - showed the 12 labours of Herakles. Like the pediments, they were carved from Parian marble.
THE PELOPION
The Pelopion was a structure at the ancient site of Olympia, Greece. It was the alleged tomb of Pelops a figure in Greek mythology. It was a monument surrounded by a pentagonal structure.
THE PRYTANEION
At Olympia, the Prytaneion was where the priests and magistrates lived; the high priests lived in the Theokoleon. It stands to the north-west of the Temple of Hera and was used for celebrations and feasts by the winners of the games. It also housed the Altar of Hestia where the original Olympic flame once burnt.
THE PHILIPPEION
The Philippeion at Olympia was an Ionic memorial which contained a statue of King Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great
THE METROON
Metroon (metrôon) was the name given to a building dedicated to the mother goddess, Cybele, Rhea, or Demeter, in Ancient Greece. Part of the complex of Olympia, and sited immediately below the terrace which houses the Treasuries, is the late 4th/early 3rd century Metroon.
THE BOULEUTERION
A bouleuterion was a building which housed the council of citizens (boule) in Ancient Greece. There are several extant remains of Bouleuterions around Greece and former Greek territories of ancient times. The Bouleuterion at Olympia, Greece, is the building where the administration took place. It is shaped as early Greek temples were shaped in a kind of square horse-shoe and it has tiered seating arrangement.
THE PALAESTRA
The palaestra at Olympia is part of the gymnasium at the sanctuary. This sixty-six meter square building dates to the end of the third or beginning of the second century B.C.
THE LEONIDAION
The Leonidaion was the lodging place for athletes taking part in the Olympic Games at Olympia. It was located at the southwest edge of the sanctuary and was the largest building on the site. It was constructed around 330 BCE and was funded and designed by Leonidas of Naxos. The building consisted of four Ionian colonnades with 138 decorated columns, forming a square of approximately 80 metres. In its interior there was a central Doric peristyle with 44 columns.
From Wikipedia.org
 MAINLAND GREECE TOURS
OLYMPIA HOTELS & ACCOMMODATION
HOME •
GREECE •
DISCOVER GREECE •
Mainland •
Olympia •
Discover Olympia
|
Looking for something specific?
QUICK LINKS FOR GREECE TRAVEL:
|
GREECE HOTELS:
MAINLAND GREECE HOTELS:
Athens,
Delphi,
Halkidiki,
Kalamata,
Kalambaka,
Nafplio,
Olympia,
Pelion,
Peloponnese,
Thessaloniki,
... see all Greece Hotels
|
GREECE TOURS & TRAVEL:
Athens & Greece Tours,
Corfu Tours,
Crete Tours,
Kos Tours,
Greece Holiday Packages,
Greek Island Cruises,
Travel Agents,
... see all Greece Tours & Travel,
|
DISCOVER GREECE:
DISCOVER MAINLAND GREECE:
THE PELOPONNESE:
OLYMPIA:
Discover Olympia,
Ancient Olympics,
Olympia Archaeological Museum,
... see all Olympia
|
|
DISCOVER GREECE
GREECE TOURS & TRAVEL
