Olympia, Greece

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Coordinates: 37°38′N 21°37′E

Ancient Olympia (Αρχαία Ολυμπία)
Coordinates	37°38′ N 21°37′ E
Country	Greece
Periphery	West Greece
Prefecture	Elis
Population	11,069 source (2001)
Elevation	63 m
Postal code	270 65
Area code	26240
Licence plate code	ΗΑ

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. Both games were held every Olympiad (i.e. every four years), the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC. In 394 emperor Theodosius I, or possibly his grandson Theodosius II in 435, abolished them because they were reminiscent of paganism.

The sanctuary itself consists of an unordered arrangement of various buildings. To the north of the sanctuary can be found the prytaneion and the Philippeion, as well as the array of treasuries representing the various city states. The metroon lies to the south of these treasuries, with the Echo Stoa to the East. To the south of the sanctuary is the South Stoa and the Bouleuterion, whereas the West side houses the palaistra, the workshop of Pheidias, the Gymnasion and the Leonidaion. Enclosed within the temenos are the temples of Hera and Zeus, the Pelopion and the area of the altar, where the sacrifices were made. The hippodrome and later stadium were also to the East.

Olympia is also known for the gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus that used to stand there, sculpted by Pheidias, which was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Antipater of Sidon. Very close to the Temple of Zeus (see photo of ruins below) which housed this statue, the studio of Pheidias was excavated in the 1950s. Evidence found there, such as sculptor's tools, corroborates this opinion.

Excavation of the Olympia temple district and its surroundings began with a French expedition in 1829. German archaeologists continued the work in the latter part of the 19th century. The latter group uncovered, intact, the Hermes of Praxiteles statue, among other artifacts. In the middle of the 20th Century, the stadium where the running contests took place was excavated.

The Olympic flame of the modern-day Olympic Games is lit by reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror at the restored Olympia stadium and then transported by a torch to the place where the games are held.

When the modern Olympics came to Athens in 2004, the men's and women's shot put competition was held at the restored stadium.

The ancient ruins sit north of the Alfeios River and lie next to Cronius or Kronios hill (the hill of Kronos, or Saturn. The Kladeos, a tributary of the Alfeios, flows around the area.

Olympia has a school and a square (plateia) and is a popular site for tourism. The town has a train station and is the easternmost terminus of the line of Olympia-Pyrgos (Ilia). The train station with the freight yard to its west is located 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. The 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 passes north of the ancient ruins.

A reservoir is located 2 km southwest, damming up the Alfeios River. A road from Olympia and Krestena was closed in the late-1990s.

The area is hilly and mountainous; most of the area within Olympia is forested.

When Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games movement, died in 1937, a monument to him was erected at ancient Olympia. His heart was buried at the monument.

[edit] Nearest Places

• Varvasena (west)

[edit] Subdivision:

• Drouva

[edit] Communes:

• Ancient Pisa (Miraka)
  • International Olympic Academy (pop: 63)
• Aspra Spitia
  • Ypsilo
• Chelidonio
• Floka
• Irakleia
• Kafkonia
• Kamena
  • Nea Kamena
• Vasilaki
• Kladeos
• Koskina
  • Fanara
• Kryonero
• Linaria
• Louvro
  • Gyros
• Mageira
• Mouria
• Pefko
• Pelopio
  • Ampari
• Platanos
  • Agios Georgios (pop: 7)
• Pournario
• Smila
  • Kourouta
• Strefi
  • Kato Strefi (Flokeika)
• Xirokampos

[edit] Historical population:

Year	Communal population	Change	Municipal population	Change
1981	1,125	-	-	-
1991	1,742	-349/-4.87%	11,229	-
2001	1,475	-267/-15.33%	11,069	-160/1.42%

[edit] External links

• The Official Website of Olympia, Greece
• Harry Thurston Peck, Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, (1898): "Olympic Games"
• traveljournals.net - Olympia
• traveljournals.net/explore/greece/map/m1214007/olimbia_arkhaia traveljournals.net - Ancient Olympia
• GTP - Ancient Olympia
• GTP - Municipality of Ancient Olympia
• Indexmundi - Olympia
• Olympia - extensive black and white photo-essays of the site and related artifacts

	North: Foloi
West: Pyrgos	Olympia	East:
	South:Skillounta, Alifeira

[edit] See also

• Communities of Ilia

Municipalities of the Elis Prefecture
Alifeira • Amaliada • Andravida • Andritsaina • Ancient Olympia • Figaleia • Foloi • Gastouni • Iardanos • Kastro-Kyllini • Lampeia • Lasiona • Lechaina • Oleni • Pineia • Pyrgos • Skillounta • Tragano • Vartholomio • Volakas • Vouprasia • Zacharo

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