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Eleia
(Ilia) Greece
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Olympia
Anyone
who has experienced a wild winter storm in the Alpheios valley and seen
the sky resplendent with blinding lightning, or who has deen startled by
a sudden mighty thunderclap on a stifling summer's day, will have no reason
to doubt that this isolated part of the western Peloponnese is indeed the
most important Sanctuary of Zeus, wielder of thunderbolts and father of
the Gods.
One
of the most important sanctuaries of antiquity, dedicated to the father
of the gods Olympian Zeus. Olympia is the birth-place of the Olympic Games
and also where they were held.
The
area, of great natural beauty, has been inhabited uninterruptedly since
the 3rd millenium B.C. and in the late Mycenaean period it became a religious
centre.
The
excavations at Olympia were begun in May 1829, two years after the battle
of Navarino, by French archaeologists.
The
finds (metopes from the opisthodomus and parts of the metopes from the
pronaos of the Temple of Zeus) were transferred to the Louvre where they
are still being exhibited. When the Greek government was informed of the
looting of artifacts, the excavation was stopped.
Excavations
started again 45 years later by German archaeologists. The research is
being continued to this day by the German Institute of Archaeology in Athens,
and the Ephorate of Antiquities in Olympia.
The
sanctuary of Olympia spreads around the green wooded feet of the Kronion
hill, where the rivers Alpheios and Cladeos meet. The valley amongst the
two rivers was in ancient times full of wild olive trees, poplars, oaks,
pines and plane trees and it was these trees that gave the centre of the
sanctuary the name Altis, meaning alsos (grove).
The
Altis is the name given to the area in Olympia that comprises the main
religious buildings, temples and votive offerings of the sanctuary. Out
of the enclosure were the auxiliary buildings, priests' houses, baths,
the areas for the preparation of the athletes, guest houses along with
other buildings.
The
beginning of worship, as well as the mythical confrontations that took
place in Olympia, are lost in the depth of the centuries. At the end of
the Mycenaean era there was already an installation in the area, and in
the Geometric and early Archaic periods, the first simple buildings of
the sanctuary were founded.
The
games began in 776 B.C. to honour Zeus. Pelops, the king of the Peloponnese
was, according to mythology, their founder. The games, that, from beginning
to end were dominated by religious character and austere ritual, were taking
place in the area in front of the temples to start with, but later as the
athletes taking part in the games, as well as the spectators increased,
in well organised installations. At the same time the events were enriched
in number and variety.
The
innumerable offerings of the 7th-6th centuries B.C. were placed outside
on trees, altars or in alcoves of the sanctuary. The most important of
the offerings were bronze tripods and cauldrons of excellent quality, war
loot (hanging on poles) and other art objects and instruments for the games.
In the passing of centuries the architectural plan of the sanctuary takes
shape, until the end of the 4th century B.C. when it is finally completed.
Olympia
was always functioning as a place of political projection and the games
often fell, especially during late antiquity, victim to political exploitation
from important personalities like Philip II, Alexander the Great and his
successors. Romans, proving their authentic Greek origin, also took part
in the games, after the total submission of Greece to Rome, but by then
the glamour and idealistic spirit of the games was considerably weakened.
Directly
depending on the the games and the sanctuary of Olympia was the town of
Elis, whose sole interest was the preparation and performance of the games.
Summer
Opening Hours
1
April - 31 October 2001 Daily: 08.30-15.00
Winter
Opening Hours
1
November 2000 - 31 March 2001 Monday-Friday: 08.00-17.00
Saturday-Sunday:
08.30-15.00
Telephone
+30-624-22.517
Fax:
+30-626-22.529 |
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