Ancient Olympia - Introduction
Good morning from Athens! My name is Paul and I am going to be your guide on this tour. I’m an expert on Greek history and a licensed tour guide for over 25 years. Until the end of this journey, I will truly have captured the whole history, myths, and legends of ancient Greece.In western Peloponnese, in the beautiful valley of the Alpheios River, lies the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece. Dedicated to Zeus, the father of the gods, it lies on 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 center in Greece. Its fame rests upon the Olympic Games, the greatest national festival and a highly prestigious one worldwide, which was held every four years to honor Zeus. The origin of the festival goes back 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.According to UNESCO’s World Heritage website, there is probably no ancient archaeological site anywhere in the world more relevant in today’s world than Olympia. The stadium of Olympia, where the ancient Olympic Games were held, and the massive temple of Zeus, the largest temple in the Peloponnese, are the site’s most significant attractions.Let’s delve into the impressive exhibits of the archaeological site of ancient Olympia and its history!HOW TO USE THIS APPBefore we start our tour, it’s useful to understand how to use this app. As you can see from the display window on your audio player, each of the stops on this tour has its own title. You can skip ahead or tailor your itinerary according to your own taste. However, navigating on your own can be confusing, and it’s easier to just follow the tour in the order I’ve laid out as I will give you directions from one stop to the next. You can pause the audio guide, then restart it when you are ready to see the next point of interest. To help you along, there’s a handy companion map available for this tour.
Stop 1 - The Temple of Hera
Once you enter the archaeological site of ancient Olympia, take the first path on the left and you will stand in front of the temple of Zeus, one of the oldest temples in Greece, dating back to around 600 BC ; the temple of Hera.The temple of Hera was dedicated to the Olympian sanctuary by the inhabitants of Skillous, an ancient city of Eleia.Pausanias relates that the temple was built approximately eight years after Oxylos ascended to the throne of Elis, that is c. 1096 BC, but it is much later. According to some scholars, the first Heraion, built around 650 BC, was a small Doric temple with only a cella and pronaos, to which the opisthodomos and pteron were added later, around 600 BC. However, the theory that the entire temple was built around 600 BC prevails today. The temple was refurbished on many occasions, and the Romans transformed it into a kind of museum for the sanctuary's choicest treasures, such as the famous Hermes by Praxiteles.The temple, which has a characteristic squat appearance owing to its great length in proportion to its breadth and its low height, is orientated east-west. It was a Doric peripteral hexastyle with sixteen columns at the sides. The original wooden columns were gradually replaced by stone ones, which belong to every period from the Archaic to Roman times and display the full development of the Doric style. Even when Pausanias visited the temple in the second century AD, a wooden (oak) column was still in place at the opisthodomos. The columns had shallow cavities where painted portraits of the winners at the Heraia games were placed. The lower part of the temple was made of shell-limestone and the upper part of mud brick. The entablature was of wood with terracotta revetment and terracotta tiles. The central circular acroterion, also of terracotta and 2,3 meters in diameter, had impressive painted decoration.The temple was divided into three chambers: pronaos, cella and opisthodomos. Both the pronaos and opisthodomos were distyle in Αntis. The cella, which is entered through the pronaos by a double door 2,90 meters wide, was divided longitudinally by two rows of Doric columns. Every second column was engaged in an internal cross-wall, the four cross-walls defining five niches. On a pedestal at the far end of the cella stood the cult statues of Zeus and Hera, mentioned by Pausanias. Zeus was depicted standing next to Hera who was seated on a throne.The Archaic stone head of Hera recovered near the Heraion and displayed in the Olympia Archaeological Museum is attributed tentatively to this group. This is where the sixteen noble Elean women who organized the Heraian games, deposited a new peplos woven for the goddess every four years. The temple is known to have held the Disk of Iphitos on which the Olympic truce was inscribed, while in the opisthodomos were the Chest of Kypselos made of wood, gold, and ivory, and decorated with mythological scenes, and the Table of Kolotes on which the Olympic victors' wild olive crowns were displayed.Only the temple's basement with its massive orthostates and lower part of the columns are visible in situ. Fragments of the terracotta entablature and the central acroterion are displayed in the museum.Are you ready to continue to our second stop?
Stop 2 - The Prytaneion
Right next to the Temple of Hera, left hand side, there was the Prytaneion - one of the oldest buildings of the Sanctuary of Olympia. At the same time, it can be characterized as one of the most important buildings of the Sanctuary as it was the administrative center of the Olympic Games but also the administrative center of the wider area of Elis region.This is a square structure that was erected at the end of the 6th century BC, while it received a series of later renovations. The length of each side was 32,8 meters and it included another square structure where the "lime fire" was burning.Inside the Prytaneion was the restaurant that hosted the official meals during the Olympic Games, while unfortunately today the interior of the monument cannot be visited.
Stop 3 - The Philippeion
Moving on a little bit, you will see a circular building, Philippeion, commissioned by Philip II of Macedon.In 338 BC, Philip II of the Kingdom of Macedon managed to defeat the traditional allied forces of Classical Greece (including the likes of Athens, Corinth, and Thebes) at Chaeronea, achieving a shift of power which would result in Alexander's campaign and the advent of the Hellenistic Era. There was no better method to advertise such a victory than to erect a splendid monument at a site of Panhellenic significance, and Philip's decision to choose Olympia confirms the unparalleled status of the site.The Philippeion is the only circular structure in the Altis, as well as one of the finest examples of monumental architecture in Ancient Greece. Built at a premium location within the sacred enclosure, it was aptly dedicated by Philip to Zeus, and completed after his death (336 BC) by his son Alexander (later known as Alexander the Great). The latter, in his effort to establish a cult of the deified royal family of Macedon, commissioned the famous sculptor Leochares to create five chryselephantine statues (i.e., made of gold and ivory) to be placed inside the monument.The main frame of this particularly elegant building was defined by eighteen Ionic columns on a circular marble base, while the roof was laid with marble tiles and crowned with a bronze poppy. The Greek travel writer Pausanias, who saw the building in the 2nd century AD, records that the interior was covered with limestone slabs, painted in red stucco with white joints, in imitation of a baked brick surface. The five statues of the royal family (representing Alexander, his parents Philip and Olympiad, as well as Philip's parents Amyntas and Euridice) were placed just opposite the entrance, on a semi-circular podium. Today, visitors may not be able to admire the long-lost statues, though they have access to a semi-restored version of the monument. In 2004, when the Athens Olympics, the Berlin Archaeological Museum returned ten architectural components to the site, thus opening the way to the partial restoration completed in 2005.Let’s continue to our next stop and maybe the most important monument of this site.
Stop 4 - The Temple of Zeus
Walking towards the center of the archaeological site, you cannot miss the massive temple of Zeus - the most important building in the Altis and the largest temple in the Peloponnese, considered by many to be the perfect example of Doric architecture. It was built by the Eleans from the spoils of the Triphylian war and dedicated to Zeus. Its construction began c. 470 and was completed before 456 BC, when an inscribed block was let into the east gable to support a gold shield dedicated by the Spartans in commemoration of their victory at Tanagra. The architect was Libon of Elis; the sculptor of the pediments is unknown.The temple, a peripteral hexastyle with thirteen columns at the sides, has an east-west orientation. The columns, 10.43 metres high and 2.25 metres in diameter at the base, were of local shell-limestone, covered with white stucco. Only the pedimental sculptures, roof tiles and lion's head waterspouts were of marble. The temple comprised a pronaos, cella and opisthodomos; both the pronaos and opisthodomos were distyle in antis. On the floor of the pronaos are the remains of a Hellenistic mosaic with representations of tritons. In front of the pronaos is a small rectangular space paved with hexagonal marble slabs where the victors were crowned. The cella was divided into three naves by two double rows of seven columns.At the far end stood the chryselephantine statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, created by Pheidias c. 430 BC. The statue, believed to have been over twelve meters high, is described by Pausanias (V, 11) and depicted on ancient coins. It portrayed Zeus enthroned, holding a sceptre in his left hand and a winged Victory in his right. The undraped parts of the statue were of ivory, while the robe and throne, the latter decorated with relief mythological scenes, were of gold. After the abolition of the Olympic Games, the statue was carried off to Constantinople where it perished in a fire c. AD 475.The temple's opulent sculptural decoration is a fine example of the Severe Style. The east pediment depicted the chariot race between Pelops and Oinomaos, presided by Zeus, master of the sanctuary, whose figure dominated the composition. The west pediment depicted the battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs, arranged round the central figure of Apollo. The twelve metopes, six at each end over the entrance to the pronaos and the opisthodomos, depicted the Labours of Hercules, mythical son of Zeus. In the Roman period, the undecorated metopes of the façades were hung with twenty-one gilded bronze shields dedicated by the consul Mummius to commemorate his victory over the Greeks in the Isthmus (146 BC). At the apex of the east pediment was a gilt victory by the sculptor Paionios, while the corner-acroteria were in the form of gilded cauldrons. The temple was burnt by order of Theodosius II in AD 426. Badly damaged by the fire, it was finally thrown down by the earthquakes of AD 551 and 552.Excavations at the temple began by the French in 1829 and were completed by the German School. Parts of the sculptural decoration have been restored and are now on display in the Olympia Archaeological Museum, while the metopes removed by the French expedition of 1829 are in the Louvre. Take your time to walk around and appreciate the size and scale of the ruins before you reach the second point of interest.Before we continue our tour, take a few minutes to explore the central sanctuary, the Altis, where you can see various altars and smaller temples dedicated to different gods. This area is the spiritual heart of ancient Olympia.
Stop 5 - The Ancient Stadium
Now, let’s continue and walk through the arched entrance to the stadium where the ancient Olympic Games were held.The stadium of Ancient Olympia was a holy place for the ancient Greeks, where all the sports 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 seating 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 honor 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.Try to picture the excitement and the athletes competing. If you’re up for it, run the length of the stadium track!
Stop 6 - The Vouleuterion
Moving forward you will meet the Bouleuterion. Built outside the sacred enclosure, the Council House is one of the oldest buildings at the site, having taken almost two centuries to complete (6th century BC 4th century BC).What makes it extremely important is the key role it played in the proper conduct of the Games. On the one hand, it was the seat of the organizers, i.e., the Eleian Senate, and the umpires called hellanodikai. On the other hand, it was the seat of all the bureaucracy related to the Games; it was the place where the athletes registered and drew lots to find out who their opponents would be, and where their names were officially announced along with the program of events. It was also a type of court, where offences and possible objections were tried, and the subsequent penalties decided. Last, it may have been the site of the Eleians' permanent records listing the victors' names.The structure consisted of two similarly sized apsidal buildings; later on, a possibly open hall of fourteen square meters was added, where the entry ritual was performed. The athletes had to take an oath under the threatening look of the statue of Zeus Horkios (Zeus of the Oaths), depicted holding his thunderbolts of just punishment. Standing on wild boar genitals, athletes and umpires took the sacred oath, while the athlete's relatives and coaches also swore to abide by the rules and respect fair play. An inscription with curses and penalties for those who would dare break the oaths was installed before the imposing statue.
Stop 7 - The Echo Stoa
Right next to the Bouleuterion, there is the Echo Stoa, also known as the Poikile (=painted) Stoa. The Echo Stoa is not to be confused with the monument of the same name in the Athenian agora.The term poikilos is quasi-generic and reflects the fact that the interior of both stoas was lined with paintings by the most famous artists of the time. Built quite late, around 350 BC, it was meant to become the east boundary of the Altis and a screen between the Stadium and the rest of the sanctuary; previously, the Temple of Zeus had been perfectly visible from the finishing line, and this may have been an issue in terms of religious correctness and the definition of separate rituals within the Games. By the 4th century BC, the once religious Games must have given way to an athletic event attended by thousands of people, whose profanity could taint the sacred enclosure. The quite impressive structure was almost 100 metres long; it consisted of an interior colonnade of unknown style and an exterior one comprising 44 Doric columns. It was named after its unique echo effect, with any sound produced within the building being repeated seven times, hence another popular name for the monument: Eptaechos (=of seven sounds).Another monument confirming the grand status of the sanctuary long after the Classical Era, as well as the prominence of the Echo Stoa, is the one erected in front of the stoa by Ptolemy II and his sister and wife Arsinoe II in the mid-3rd century BC. The two ends of the large stone platform, measuring 20 meters in length and 4 meters in width, were decorated with two Ionic columns, on which stood two gilded statues representing the king and queen. Today, visitors can still see parts of the Stoa, as well as the stone platform and parts of the Ionic columns of Ptolemy’s monument.But let’s go further and continue straight a few more meters until we reach the Leonidaion, a guesthouse that accommodated VIPs during the games. This structure will give you an idea of the hospitality offered to distinguished visitors.
Stop 8 - The Leonidaion
Here we are! The Leonidaion was built around 330 BC just outside the sacred enclosure of the Altis. This luxurious building was reserved for the wealthy and distinguished guests who stayed in the sanctuary during the Olympic Games. It was named after Leonidas, the architect from Naxos who both sponsored and designed it. The structure was defined by two colonnades; the internal one (44 Doric columns) surrounded the central court, while the external (138 columns of 5,55 meters in height) ran along all edges of the impressive square building. In Roman times, it was used as quarters for Roman officials, and a pond was created in the central court.Now, as we make the way back to the entrance, we will meet on our left hand our next point of interest.
Stop 9 - The Palestra
Bingo! Here is Palestra, the minor component of the Gymnasium complex that was built west of the Altis, by the Kladeos river.It was almost square and connected to the Gymnasium by means of a small door. Boxers, wrestlers, and jumpers trained at the 1,680 square-meter court at the center of the building, which was surrounded by a Doric colonnade of 72 columns and laid with fine sand. Similarly to the Gymnasium, auxiliary closed spaces of various sizes were built around the main training area. All these extra rooms were absolutely necessary, so that athletes could prepare their bodies and minds before their strenuous routines, according to the Greek sporting tradition and ideal; apart from the evident use as changing rooms, it was also where the athletes anointed themselves with olive oil from their aryballos (a special small vase for carrying and pouring oil) and dusted with fine powder a practice which must have originated in ritual, as its purpose remains rather obscure.After training, this film of oil, powder, and dust from the palestra would be scrubbed away using a tool known as the stlengis. Benches along the walls provided seating where orators and philosophers would teach the athletes. The doors of the rooms opened to the large court, while most of their façades were decorated with Ionic columns. Today, thanks to relatively recent excavations and restorations, visitors can see the lower stone parts of the building, as well as 32 restored columns of the main court out of the original 72.
Stop 10 - The Gymnasium
Nearby, explore the remains of the gymnasium where athletes trained for track and field events.Compared to the other parts of the site, the Gymnasium was built late, during the Hellenistic Era, and the ruins visible today are what remains of a building dating back to the 2nd century BC. Most of our knowledge regarding its structure comes from the east wing, which has been more extensively excavated and studied, with the last large-scale excavation completed in 2015, while the west wing has been swept away by the river. The building was mainly used by track-and-field and pentathlon athletes, who had previously trained at the same spot, though without the added comfort and protection of a walled structure.The rectangular Gymnasium was walled all around, and the large court at the center was the same length as the actual Olympic stadium, so that athletes could run the same distance during training as they would during the Games. A double Doric colonnade divided the east stoa into two separate tracks; the main outer track was called the ksystos (Greek for 'scraped'), as its maintenance consisted of constant scraping and levelling of the dirt, while the inner track was auxiliary, hence described as the paradromis (Greek for 'auxiliary track'). Adjacent to the main building was a large court of 22,000 square meters, used for javelin and discus training, which of course was impossible to do indoors.
Ancient Olympia - The end
So, dear traveler, dear friend, at this point, our exploration reaches its end. Thanks for joining me on this tour of the Archaeological site of Olympia and for allowing me to take you on this journey back to history. I hope you enjoyed it. If you are doing more sightseeing in Athens, please navigate on this app to find more audio tours or even better, visit our website at keytours.gr to join a live guided tour.Enjoy the rest of your trip!
