Olympia
Olympia History
There is evidence of religious activity at this historic site as far back as the 10th century BC. Olympia, located in Peloponnese, Greece, is famous of course for being the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The very first Olympic festival was held on the site in the 8th century BC by Elis. Historians date the first actual games in 776 BC. Olympia fell to the Pisatans in 676 BC, and they took over organization of the games until late in the 7th century BC. Evidence of the earliest construction on the Olympia site dates from around 600 BC with athletic arenas and other structures being built. The first stadium was built in the mid 6th century BC.
Olympia thrived in the classical period, which lasted between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. This was considered the golden age at Olympia with a wide variety of religious buildings and other structures being constructed. The massive Temple of Zeus was constructed in the middle of the 5th century BC. More sporting facilities, including the completion of the stadium and the hippodrome, used for chariot-racing, were also constructed.
More and more construction was done in the next few centuries, with the building of the Philippeion and the largest building on the site, the Leonidaion, which was built to house important visitors. More athletic buildings were constructed because of the games’ importance. The Palaestra, Gymnasion, and bath houses were all built before the 3rd century BC, with a vaulted archway being added to link the entrance of the stadium to the sanctuary.
Roman rule saw the games opened up to every citizen of the mighty Roman Empire. Extensive repairs and new building took place also during this time. The Exedra, new baths to replace older Greek ones, and an aqueduct were all built before 160 AD. The Olympia site suffered major damage earthquakes in the 200s AD, while invading tribes robbed material and looted the site’s monuments in 267 AD. The Olympic festival still soldiered on at the site until the final one took place in 393 AD. After that, the Christian emperor Theodosius I banned the games. Olympia was taken over by a Christian community until the late 500s. It remained nearly forgotten until the French excavated the sanctuary at Olympia in 1829.
Shortly thereafter, the German Archaeological Institute of Athens was in charge of excavating the site. Important sites like the Temples of Zeus and Hera, Metroon, Bouleuterion, Philipeion, Echo Stoa, Treasuries, and Palaestra were uncovered. Sculptures from the Temple of Zeus, the Nike of Paeonius, the Hermes of Praxiteles, and many bronzes were also found. A total 14,000 objects were discovered and are now displayed in a museum located on the site. Excavation continued throughout the rest of the 19th and 20th centuries with important discoveries being made still throughout the 1980s and 90s.
Olympia still plays a major role in the modern day Olympic Games with the tradition of the torch. The flame used to light the torch in the Olympic Games is lit by a reflection of sunlight in a mirror in front of the Temple of Hera. The torch is then transported to whatever city is hosting that years’ games. When the Olympics came to back to Greece in 2004, the shot put competition was held at the Olympia stadium, which had since been restored.
Olympia Visitor Information
If you’re in Athens and want to reach Olympia, there is no direct bus link between the two cities. You have to go via Pyrgos. Visitors can take the train or KTEL buses via Pyrgos, and it takes about two hours. Travel to Olympia is also possible from the port of Kyllini by using KTEL buses. Many resorts offer daytrips to Olympia, so check with your accommodations in Athens. There are also hotels in the town of Olympia, which is within walking distance of the ancient sites.
Cost for adults is €6 to see the ancient sites, while the archaeological museum is €9. Hours are 8:00-7:30 from April to October and 8:30 to 3:00 from November to March. Not much remains of the original buildings of Ancient Olympia, but there is plenty to get a good idea of what this idyllic, leafy setting looked like thousands of years ago. Visiting the museum beforehand will give you a better idea of what the ancient buildings looked like.
The gymnasium is the first ruin you run into when entering the ancient city of Olympia, and it dates from the 2nd century BC. Nearby is the area where one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was located, the Statue of Zeus. Archaeologists discovered tools and molds and identified this area as the workshop where the statue was built. Archaeologists have restored and re-erected one of the columns of the Temple of Zeus, built in the 5th century BC, so visitors can get an idea and perspective of its enormous size.
The stadium, which could seat at least 45,000 spectators, is also something every tourist should see. You enter through an archway, and upon entry, you can see both the start and finish lines of the 120 meter sprint track. The seats where judges observed are still standing.
Olympia Conservation Efforts
Conservation and restoration have been ongoing at Olympia for over 130 years. As we speak, the restoration of the architecture of the Temple of Zeus is underway. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia displays finds excavated from the site, but over all, conservation and architecture are overseen by the German Archaeological Institute at Athens.
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