Olympia

Olympia is one of the most charming places in Greece. It was here that the Olympic Games were officially established in 776 BC. It is located in a beautiful green valley between the Alvey River and its tributary, the Kladeos.

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Modern Olympia at the foot of Cronion Hill is a quiet, pleasant village. But all roads lead to the ancient settlement, the ideal time to explore it is just after the opening, when the freshness of the morning still hovers over the old stones. As you pass the entrance, on the left you will notice the ruins of the Roman Thermae of Cronion, where elements of mosaics have been preserved. The path then runs along the eastern wing of the gymnasium (on the right), belted by two circles of capitals and column bases. A little further on, the palestra forms a magnificent quadrangle of 19 Doric columns.

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Phidias’ Workshop

Further south is the famous workshop of Phidias, which has partially preserved its brick walls. Here the greatest of the sculptors of the Golden Age of ancient Greece worked on a giant statue (13 m) of gold and ivory for the Temple of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

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Leonidion and Buleuterion

The huge Leonidion, dating back to the 4th century BC, may have been built to receive high ranking guests invited to the Games. Here you can see the ruins of rooms facing the double pool. On the other side of the main street is the Bulevterion, the meeting place of the organizers and judges of the Games.

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Sanctuary

Directly to the north is the sanctuary, or Altis, the heart of the settlement. Of the temple of Zeus, built in the 5th century BC, only the base and a single column remain. Scattered nearby are numerous Doric capitals and drums, destroyed by an earthquake in the 6th century.

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Philippeion

Following the direction of Mount Kronion, you will find the remains of this small circular building dating back to the 4th century BC. Built by Philip II of Macedon, it possessed an Ionic peristyle and has recently been reconstructed.

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Temple of Hera

The Temple of Hera, one of the best preserved in Olympia, was erected at the foot of the Cronion around 600 B.C. It has a distinctly Archaic style. Most of its columns with cannelures have not survived. This 50 m long sanctuary contained many images of Hera and Zeus, as well as the famous statue of Hermes by Praxiteles (some of his works are on display in the local museum).

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Nymphaeion

The Nymphaeion (exedra) of Herodotus Atticus nearby was built by this wealthy Athenian in 160. Once belted with colonnades and statues, it consists of a semicircular fountain surrounded by pools that fed springs on the slope of the Kronion. Further on are the ruins of 12 treasuries, furnished with Doric colonnades. They were built by various Greek cities and colonies to store their offerings to the gods.

Stadium

An arched passageway can be seen to the east of Olympia, which is the main entrance to the stadium from the 4th century B.C. Three centuries later, it gained a roof. Only the referees and athletes were authorized to use it. The stadium could hold up to 45,000 people, who were seated on slopes arranged on each side of the site. To the right of the entrance are marble seats reserved for the referees. On the south side of the stadium are the remains of a hippodrome where horse and chariot races were held.

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Archaeological Museum

This museum is on the other side of the road, opposite the entrance to the sanctuary, and has the most marvelous statues. In the foreground are pediments from the temple of Zeus, made of Paros marble in the 5th century BC. Equally popular are Praxiteles’ Hermes, a graceful marble statue (340-330 B.C.) from the Temple of Hera, and Nika (“Winged Victory”), endowed with flowing forms by the sculptor Peonius (420 B.C.). Also worth mentioning is Zeus abducting Ganymede, a terracotta statuette from 470 BC. The bronze collections are no less magnificent: numerous statuettes full of expression and grace, dating from the VI-V centuries BC

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Other museums

Both museums, located in a village not far from each other, complete the picture of ancient Olympia: one is dedicated to the history of the excavation of the city, the other, more interesting, to the history of the Games, embodied in ceramics, marble statuettes and objects related to sports. The most beautiful mosaics illustrate poetic and athletic contests.

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