Olympia, Greece

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Olympia (Greek: ??????? Olympí'a or ??????? Olýmpia, older transliterations, Olimpia, Olimbia), a city 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 at least as far as 776 BC. In 394 emperor Theodosius I abolished them.

Related Topics:
Greek - Greece - Elis - Olympic Games - Pythian Games - Delphi - Olympiad - 776 BC - 394 - Theodosius I

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Olympia is also known for its gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus, made by Phidias, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Very close to the temple of Zeus (see photo of ruins below) which housed this statue, the studio of Phidias was excavated in the 1950s. Evidence found there such as sculptor's tools, corroborates this opinion.

Related Topics:
Ivory - Gold - Statue of Zeus - Phidias - Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - 1950s

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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.

Related Topics:
French - 1829 - German - Archaeologist - 19th - Hermes - Praxiteles - 20th Century - Stadium

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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.

Related Topics:
Olympic flame - Olympic Games - Parabolic mirror

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

Related Topics:
Athens - 2004 - Shot put

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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.

Related Topics:
Alfeios River - Cronius - Kronios - Kronos

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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.

Related Topics:
Plateia - 20th century - Pyrgos (Ilia)

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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.

Related Topics:
GR-74 - 1980s - 2005 - Pyrgos - Lampeia - Tripoli - Arcadia - Krestena - Kyparissia - Messenia

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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.

Related Topics:
Km - 1990s

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The area is hilly and mountains, most of the area within Olympia is forested.

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