Difference between revisions of "Ancient Olympia" - New World Encyclopedia
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==Archaeological Findings== | ==Archaeological Findings== | ||
===The Palaestra === | ===The Palaestra === | ||
| − | The Palaestra, dating to the 3rd century B.C.E., was a square building | + | The Palaestra, dating to the 3rd century B.C.E., was a square building and was used as a place for social meeting, practice, and training. Its four sides were lined with Doric columns and beyond were various rooms with Ionic columns in which the athletes prepared for competition. A cistern in the north east corner provided cold baths.[[Image:Palestra at Olympia.jpg|thumb|250 px|Palaestra at Olympia]]An unusual feature of the palaestra is the strip of concrete pavement on the north side of courtyard, which is formed with alternate bands of ribbed and smooth tiles arranged to create continuous ridges stretching the length of the pavement. This was probably a sort of bowling alley, as suggested by a similar pavement found at Pompeii with heavy stone balls on it. |
===The Temple of Zeus=== | ===The Temple of Zeus=== | ||
| − | The Temple of Zeus in the center of the Altis was the work of the architect Livona. Standing on a platform, the temple is in the Doric peripteral style ( | + | The Temple of Zeus, situated in the center of the Altis, was the work of the architect Livona. Standing on a platform, the temple is in the Doric peripteral style (6 columns by 13 columns), with impressively decorated pediments. The temple was built in the mid 5th century BC and was funded by the spoils of war won by the Eleans from Pisa. The aerial composition depicts the chariot-races between Inomaou and Pelopa and the clashes of the Lapithon and the Centaurs. The main themes of the metope were the labors of Hercules. Winners of the Olympiads were crowned at the entrance of the temple. |
===The Temple of Hera=== | ===The Temple of Hera=== | ||
| − | Also known as the Heraion, it was a Doric styled temple with 6 pillars | + | Also known as the Heraion, it was a Doric styled temple with 6 pillars by 16 pillars. Originally made of wood, the pillars were later replaced with stone ones. It was constructed in the 7th century B.C.E. and hosted the statues of Zeus and Hera sitting on a throne. Though originally dedicated to both Zeus and Hera, it later became Hera's exclusive temple after the establishment of the Temple of Zeus. The renowned statue of Hermes holding young Dionysus, a work of Praxiteles, was located there. |
===The Stadium=== | ===The Stadium=== | ||
| − | The Stadium underwent three phases of transformations in order to accommodate a growing throng of dedicated fans; the third and final stadium dates back to the 4th century B.C.E. and is eastward in comparison to the older two versions. All around the track is a duct with basins, dating to the 2nd century AD, which supplied the spectators with water. An altar to Demeter was placed on the northern bank, where the priestess of Demeter, the only woman ever allowed to view the games, was permitted to sit | + | The Stadium underwent three phases of transformations in order to accommodate a growing throng of dedicated fans; the third and final stadium dates back to the 4th century B.C.E. and is eastward in comparison to the older two versions. Though the stadium had no seats, its banks could hold 35,000 to 40,000 spectators. All around the track is a duct with basins, dating to the 2nd century AD, which supplied the spectators with water. An altar to Demeter was placed on the northern bank, where the priestess of Demeter, the only woman ever allowed to view the games, was permitted to sit. |
===The Hippodrome=== | ===The Hippodrome=== | ||
| − | The Hippodrome once lay to the south of the Stadium, but has now been washed away by the | + | The Hippodrome once lay to the south of the Stadium, but has now been washed away by the Alpheus River. The renowned horse and chariot races were once held here. |
===The Bouleuterion=== | ===The Bouleuterion=== | ||
| − | Further to the east is the Bouleuterion, the place where the Olympic Senate met and official documents were stored. The southern side of the building dates to the 6th century B.C.E., the | + | Further to the east is the Bouleuterion, the place where the Olympic Senate met and official documents were stored. The southern side of the building dates to the 6th century B.C.E., while the northern portion dates to the 5th century B.C.E. Ionic columns were added to the eastern side later, between the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C.E. In between these two sections is an open space in which the altar of Zeus Horkeios stood, at which competitors, along with their families and trainers, swore that they would abide by the regulations of the games and not cheat. |
===The Philippeion=== | ===The Philippeion=== | ||
| − | The Philippeion at Olympia was a circular and temple-like structure of stone and marble which was started by Philip II of Macedonia after his victory over the Greeks at Chaeronia in | + | The Philippeion at Olympia was a circular and temple-like structure of stone and marble which was started by Philip II of Macedonia after his victory over the Greeks at Chaeronia in 338 B.C.E. as a donation to the Greek gods and proof of his Greek lineage. It was reportedly completed by his son, Alexander the Great. It featured a peripteral colonnade of 18 Ionic columns around the porch or peristyle and an inner colonnade of 9 Corinthian half-columns around the wall and a roof of carved marble tiles and crowned with a bronze poppyhead. |
===The Leonidaion=== | ===The Leonidaion=== | ||
| − | In 330 | + | In 330 BC the architect Leonidas, who was from Naxos, donated this particular building, which had rooms on all four sides. These rooms were intended for the hospitality of officials, celebrities, and visitors. The rooms also had a wonderful view of an internal cloistered courtyard. Roman dignitaries made it their home during the roman years. |
===The Workshop of Pheidias=== | ===The Workshop of Pheidias=== | ||
Revision as of 06:55, 15 December 2006
Olympia (Greek: Ολυμπία Olympí'a or Ολύμπια Olýmpia, older transliterations, Olimpia, Olimbia), 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, the Nemean Games of Nemea, and the Isthmian Games of Corinth. It is not hard to imagine how the Olympic games cultivated the collective consciousness of the Hellenes looking at the ruins which span several hundred years as they stand silently among the low trees at Olympia. In ancient times Greek men from all corners of the Mediterranean made the pilgrimage to Olympia to pay tribute to Zeus, to forge friendships and alliances, and to enjoy or compete in poetry, music, and athletic events. The stadium, along with the hippodrome which is now buried under the olive groves to the southeast, were the main venues where athletic events took place.
Discovery
Excavation of the Olympia temple district and its surroundings began with a French expedition in 1829, and was continued by German-born archaeologist Ernst Curtius. Curtius was extremely systematic in his work. In the period from 1875 to 1881, almost the whole of Olympia was unearthed, revealing some of the most beautiful artistic pieces of Ancient Greece. Besides numerous coins and inscriptions, Curtius also found the well-preserved statue of Hermes carrying the infant Dionysus by Praxiteles. Curtius also found the temple of Hera, the altar of Zeus, the former site of the enormous statue of Zeus (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), and the original location of the Olympic stadium, where the Olympic Games took place in Ancient Greece.
Ernst Curtius was 24 years old when he first visited Olympia in 1838, working at the time with the German scholar of Greek literature and art, Karl Otfried Muller. But it wasn't until 37 years later that he began the enormous task of completely excavating the entire sanctuary at Olympia. Of course, Curtius wasn't the first person interested in Olympia. Written records about the athletic festivals included a report by the Greek traveller Pausanias, who attended the games about the year 174 C.E. Antiquarian interest in the site started in 1723, when the French scholar Bernard de Montfaucon [1655-1741] failed to get enough funding to take it on. The German archaeologist Johann Joachim Winckelmann [1717-1768] was also interested in it around 1768, but his funding also fell through. A small French expedition was undertaken in 1829, but it wasn't until 1875 that all of the pieces were in place.
The scientific expedition—the largest of its kind at the time, and one of the largest ever carried out—was funded by the German government under the direction of Curtius and with the assistance and support of the best archaeologists of the period, including Friedrich Adler and Wilhelm Dorpfeld. Six years later, most of the buildings reported by Pausanias had been cleared and identified, including the Heraion, the Temple of Zeus, the Metroon, the Philippeion, the precinct of Pelops, and the Echo Colonnade. Artifacts from the expedition were to remain in Greece, according to the contracts drawn up between the Greek and German governments; but most of the largest statuary had been looted in antiquity, by the Romans for the most part.
History
Olympia was inhabited and growing as far back as Mycenaean times, when it was used as a place of worship, with buildings and relics dating as far back as the Geometric period and early Archaic period. The Olympic festival took place every four years over a five-day period in the late summer during a sacred truce, observed by all Greek cities. Official records point the first Olympic Game as having been held in the year 776 B.C.E., when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long. According to some literary traditions, this was the only athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic festivals. Contrary evidence, both literary and archaeological, suggests that the games may have existed as a local festival at Olympia much earlier than this date, perhaps as early as the 10th or 9th century B.C.E.
The celebration of the Olympic Games in antiquity was an occasion for citizens of scattered Greek city-states to assemble. At the Games they discussed important political issues, celebrated common military victories and even formed political and military alliances. But the Games were not only a forum in which to discuss political events; they were also the cause of political conflict. Control of the Sanctuary and the Games, harnessed by the Eleans of Elis, brought with it prestige, economic advantages and, most importantly, political influence. One notable exception was the invasion of the Arcadians in 364 B.C.E., which resulted in a battle in front of the spectators. As Olympia was eventually secured by the Arcadians, the Eleans declared the year 364 B.C.E. 'Anolympiad'.
The games carried on, even as Greece's power declined and Rome's rose. Although the Olympics continued to enjoy a measure of prestige, the varying political and economic changes of the Hellenistic and Roman periods affected both the site and the games. City-states plundered Olympia to fund their wars, until the games themselves were abolished in 394 by Emperor Theodosius I, who accused them of being reminiscent of paganism. Thirty years later, Theodosius II ordered the temples to be destroyed and a Christian basilica was constructed there. Eventually, earthquakes and landslides decimated Olympia, and repeated floodings of the Alpheus and Kladeus Rivers buried the site. This vast site went missing for almost a millenium before its rediscovery and excavation under 16 ft. of yellow silt.
Archaeological Findings
The Palaestra
The Palaestra, dating to the 3rd century B.C.E., was a square building and was used as a place for social meeting, practice, and training. Its four sides were lined with Doric columns and beyond were various rooms with Ionic columns in which the athletes prepared for competition. A cistern in the north east corner provided cold baths.
An unusual feature of the palaestra is the strip of concrete pavement on the north side of courtyard, which is formed with alternate bands of ribbed and smooth tiles arranged to create continuous ridges stretching the length of the pavement. This was probably a sort of bowling alley, as suggested by a similar pavement found at Pompeii with heavy stone balls on it.
The Temple of Zeus
The Temple of Zeus, situated in the center of the Altis, was the work of the architect Livona. Standing on a platform, the temple is in the Doric peripteral style (6 columns by 13 columns), with impressively decorated pediments. The temple was built in the mid 5th century B.C.E. and was funded by the spoils of war won by the Eleans from Pisa. The aerial composition depicts the chariot-races between Inomaou and Pelopa and the clashes of the Lapithon and the Centaurs. The main themes of the metope were the labors of Hercules. Winners of the Olympiads were crowned at the entrance of the temple.
The Temple of Hera
Also known as the Heraion, it was a Doric styled temple with 6 pillars by 16 pillars. Originally made of wood, the pillars were later replaced with stone ones. It was constructed in the 7th century B.C.E. and hosted the statues of Zeus and Hera sitting on a throne. Though originally dedicated to both Zeus and Hera, it later became Hera's exclusive temple after the establishment of the Temple of Zeus. The renowned statue of Hermes holding young Dionysus, a work of Praxiteles, was located there.
The Stadium
The Stadium underwent three phases of transformations in order to accommodate a growing throng of dedicated fans; the third and final stadium dates back to the 4th century B.C.E. and is eastward in comparison to the older two versions. Though the stadium had no seats, its banks could hold 35,000 to 40,000 spectators. All around the track is a duct with basins, dating to the 2nd century AD, which supplied the spectators with water. An altar to Demeter was placed on the northern bank, where the priestess of Demeter, the only woman ever allowed to view the games, was permitted to sit.
The Hippodrome
The Hippodrome once lay to the south of the Stadium, but has now been washed away by the Alpheus River. The renowned horse and chariot races were once held here.
The Bouleuterion
Further to the east is the Bouleuterion, the place where the Olympic Senate met and official documents were stored. The southern side of the building dates to the 6th century B.C.E., while the northern portion dates to the 5th century B.C.E. Ionic columns were added to the eastern side later, between the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C.E. In between these two sections is an open space in which the altar of Zeus Horkeios stood, at which competitors, along with their families and trainers, swore that they would abide by the regulations of the games and not cheat.
The Philippeion
The Philippeion at Olympia was a circular and temple-like structure of stone and marble which was started by Philip II of Macedonia after his victory over the Greeks at Chaeronia in 338 B.C.E. as a donation to the Greek gods and proof of his Greek lineage. It was reportedly completed by his son, Alexander the Great. It featured a peripteral colonnade of 18 Ionic columns around the porch or peristyle and an inner colonnade of 9 Corinthian half-columns around the wall and a roof of carved marble tiles and crowned with a bronze poppyhead.
The Leonidaion
In 330 B.C.E. the architect Leonidas, who was from Naxos, donated this particular building, which had rooms on all four sides. These rooms were intended for the hospitality of officials, celebrities, and visitors. The rooms also had a wonderful view of an internal cloistered courtyard. Roman dignitaries made it their home during the roman years.
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 molds and other artifacts relating to the work of the artist have been found, including a cup bearing his name. In the mid 5th century, a Byzantine church was built on top of the workshop.
The Gymnasium
Rectangle building with an internal courtyard and arcade in the four sides. It was built in the 2nd century B.C.E. and because of the size of the building, here took place the trainings of the athletes in events that required space, for example the javelin, the road and the discus.
The Treasuries
To the north of the Altis and west of the Stadium were the Treasuries, housing votives and offerings of various Greek cities and colonies. The oldest and largest treasury, and the farthest east, is the Gela treasury, dating to circa 600 B.C.E. West are the Treasuries of Megara, Metapontum, and Selinus. Next is an unknown structure, perhaps an altar to Gaia. Further west are the badly ruined Cyrene, Sybaris, and Byzantium treasuries; then the Epidamnos, Syracuse, and Sikyon treasuries. The Sikyon treasury is well preserved and dates to circa 480 B.C.E. Beyond is an altar to Herakles.
The Prytaneion
The Prytaneion stands to the north-west of Hera's temple. In this building, official guests and the winners of the Olympic games were served feasts. It was built during the end of the 6th century B.C.E., though it was rebuilt since then. The Altar of Hestia where the eternal flame for the original Olympic games once burned was housed in this building. Traditionally, the Olympian priests would mix clay, water, and ashes from the altar and smear them them on the Great Altar of Zeus once a year.
Artifacts
Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 B.C.E. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th-century engraving.
Olympia is also known for the gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus that used to stand there, sculpted by Pheidias. Named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Antipater of Sidon, the renowned statue was approximately 12 meters in height. The statue depicted Zeus with a silver olive wreath on his head sitting on a throne made of marble in which were chiseled mythological performances of that time. On his right he held Niki who was the deity of Greek mythology and the personification of victory in wars and in athletic events. His left hand bears an eagle on a scepter. With the shutting of the temple, the statue was transported to Constantinople in 395 C.E., where it was completely ravaged by the great fire of Ippodromo in 475 C.E.
A statue of Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, sculpted by Praxiteles, was recovered and is now exhibited in the The Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Made from Parian marble it stands 2.10m in height.
The Nike of of Paionios was a statue dedicated by the Messenians and the Naupactians for their victory against the Spartans, in the Peloponnesian war probably in 421 B.C.E. It is the work of the sculptor Paionios of Mende in Chalkidiki, who also made the acroteria of the Temple of Zeus. Nike, cut from Parian marble, has a height of 2.115m, but with the tips of her (now broken) wings would have reached 3m. In its completed form, the monument with its triangular base (8.81m high) would have stood at the height of 10.92m, giving the impression of Nike triumphantly descending from Olympus.
Sixteen bronze statues of Zeus, known as Zanes (plural of Zeus), were erected along the length of the Thisavron wall en route to the stadium and paid for by fines levied against athletes accused of violating the laws of the Games. Only their bases remain today.
Of all the treasures donated to the Temple of Hera and put on display, the most impressive was a cedar chest inlaid with ivory and gold, and covered with five rows of intricate figures and inscriptions. The temple also housed the bronze discus inscribed with the Sacred Truce, and an ivory and gold table where the olive crowns given to the athletic victors were set out.
Olympia Today
The modern Olympic Games came to be revived through the efforts of Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France. Though an Olympic Game has never been wholly hosted at Olympia, the men's and women's shot put competition for the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics was held at the restored stadium.
The idea of the Olympic torch or Olympic Flame was first inaugurated in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. There was no torch relay in the ancient Olympic Games. There were known, however, torch relays in other ancient Greek athletic festivals including those held at Athens. The modern Olympic torch relay was first instituted at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
The ancient ruins sits north of the Alfeios River and lies next to Cronius or Kronios hill (the hill of Kronos, or Saturn). Kladeos, a tributary of Alfeios, flows around the area.
The town has a school and a square (plateia). Tourism is popular throughout the late-20th century. The city has a train station and is the easternmost terminus of the line of Olympia-Pyrgos (Ilia). The train station which the freight yard is west of it is about 300 m east of the town centre.
It is linked by GR-74 and the new road was opened in the 1980s, the next stretch N and NE of Olympia will open in around 2005. Distance from Pyrgos is 20 km E(old: 21 km), about 50 km SW of Lampeia, W of Tripoli and Arcadia and 4 km north of Krestena and N of Kyparissia and Messenia. The highway passed north of the ancient ruins.
A reservoir is located 2 km southwest damming up the Alfeios river and has a road from Olympia and Krestena which in the late-1990s has been closed.
The area is hilly and mountainous, most of the area within Olympia is forested.
External links
- Perseus Digital Library, Ancient Olympia
- The Real Story of the Ancient Olympics
- An Olympic Excavation
- Perseus Digital Library, Olympia
- Athletic history in the palaestra
- The Official Website of Olympia, Greece
- Harry Thurston Peck, Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, (1898): "Olympic Games"
- traveljournals.net - Olympia
- Olympia photos and info
- traveljournals.net/explore/greece/map/m1214007/olimbia_arkhaia traveljournals.net - Ancient Olympia
- GTP - Ancient Olympia
- GTP - Municipality of Ancient Olympia
- GTP - Ancient Olympia
- Olympia photo gallery
- Indexmundi - Olympia
- Olympia - extensive black and white photo-essays of the site and related artifacts
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