THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION
Last week, we made our new year’s resolution to travel more in 2020. Besides the bathroom and the bed, where have you gone? Why not? Why are you waiting? Get up and get out.
Make a coffee (cocktail) date and start plotting a trip with someone. You can go to Tokyo at the end of July for what will be a very expensive Summer Olympics. The thought of those crowds has me thinking of a deserted island.
Or why not visit where it all began?
Olympia, (see more) is a small town in the Elis region of the western Peloponnese peninsula. The village is most famous for its nearby archaeological site of the same name.
The site, a major Panhellenic religious sanctuary, is where the ancient Olympic Games took place. Waring groups would lay down their weapons to attend the ancient Olympics. This meeting and sharing period would later bring the ancient Greeks together as a nation.
This site is not Mount Olympus, a mountain in Northern Greece near Thessaloniki. That location is home to the Twelve Olympians, major deities of Ancient Greek mythology.
Ancient Olympic History
Olympia lies in a broad valley along the Alfeiós River.
Experts have evidence of over 70 temples throughout the area. There were also alters, treasuries, statues, and structures for the athletes.
The games took place every four years, beginning circa 776 B.C. Although there were sporting events, it was more of a political gathering to show off.
The oldest structures appear to date from circa 600 B.C. These buildings include the Temple of Hera, the Treasuries, and the Pelopion. Other structures that appear to be from this period are the athletic arenas and the senate-house (Bouleuterion).
Over the years, the size of the event continues to grow. They continue to add additional sporting contests.
The Golden Age of Olympics
Olympia enjoys a renaissance between the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. Different city-states fund the building of new religious and secular buildings. The largest project is the building of the Temple of Zeus. The temple’s size, scale, and ornamentation exceed any previous structures.
The stadium goes through its final upgrading circa 400 B.C. They build additional sporting facilities and Greek baths. During this period, they also create the hippodrome for chariot-racing.
Around 300 B.C., the Olympics again grow in popularity requiring additional structures. These will include the Philippeion and the Leonidaion, the most massive structure to serve as housing for essential visitors. Other athletic buildings include the Palaestra, Gymnasium, and additional bathhouses.
In 200 B.C., they link the sports stadium to the sanctuary with a passage with a vaulted archway.
Not So Ancient Olympia
When the Romans take over, they open the games to all citizens of the Roman Empire. (Isn’t that everyone?) They start a program of new buildings, including the Nymphaeum. Next, a top to bottom remodeling of existing sites, including the Temple of Zeus. They replace the Greek baths with modern Roman ones and build an aqueduct.
During the 3rd century A.D., the western part of the Peloponnese saw several earthquakes and tsunamis that followed. The region from the coast to Olympia suffers substantial damage.
It is not natural disasters or raiders that bring the ancient Olympics to an end. The Christian emperor Theodosius I bans them due to their pagan temples and rituals.
The next emperor, Theodosius II, orders the destruction of pagan structures and the persecution of pagans.
The Temple of Zeus is a victim of this. The workshop of Pheidias survives as they make it into a Christian Basilica.
The Christians organize a smaller sporting competition but without the politics and pagan rituals. Additional earthquakes, flooding, and a nasty pandemic of plague finally lead to abandoning the site by 600 A.D.
An Olympic Discovery
The site disappears over time. The findings of shells and mollusk point to additional tsunamis covering the area in over 20 feet of silt.
It is not until 1766 that an English antiquarian Richard Chandler discovers the site. But excavations do not begin until 1829 when a French team begins digging. In the 1870s, the German Archaeological Institute at Athens takes charge of excavating and preserving.
They record more than 14,000 objects, including the Nike of Paeonius and Hermes of Praxiteles. They unearth sculptures from the Temple of Zeus and numerous bronzes.
Some relevant dating evidence of the stadium came to light in recent excavating. Also, there has been the uncovering of graves, the Prytaneion, and Pelopion.
The Archeological Site Today.
The Archaeological Site of Olympia is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Some of the should-see attractions include:
The Temple of Zeus (circa 470 B.C.) – was home to a giant sculpture of the god. The gold and ivory statue was the art of Pheidias. The temple and statue become one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It sits towards the middle of the complex. It is on the site of an earlier temple to Zeus.
North of the Temple of Zeus
Temple of Hera (circa 590 B.C.) – Hera is the queen of the Greek gods and wife of Zeus. Her Doric temple measures one hundred and sixty-nine feet long by sixty-three feet wide. The height was around fifty feet. There is no record of the architect.
Philippeion (338 B.C.) – was an Ionic circular memorial to Philip II of Macedon and his family, including his son Alexander the Great. It is the only structure inside the sanctuary paying tribute to a human.
Studio of Pheidia(s) (circa 470 B.C.) – was the workshop of the greatest of all ancient Greek sculptors. For some reason, no original works of his survive. Did I mention they were of gold and ivory?
Olympic Museums
Archaeological Museum of Olympia – is one of Greece’s most prestigious museums. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains finds from the excavations dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period.
The Museum of the History of the Ancient Olympic Games – has over 400 exhibits. These date from the prehistoric period to the 5th century A.D. The displays are in thematic groups with the majority coming from the Olympia site. There is a small collection of ancient works of art from other important sites in Greece.
Olympia Town
Floka Theater – is a modern open-air theater, but with the standards of ancient theaters. Between June and August, there are performances and concerts by well-known Greek artists.
Agriturismo Magna Grecia – is a farmhouse that a 4th generation family is running west of Olympia village. The family is producing P.D.O. Olive oil. Also, for their olives, wines, and other fresh farm products. They offer several programs from winery tours to cooking classes and farm to fork culinary experiences.
Klio’s Honey Farm – is north, just outside the village of Olympia. Here, three generations of the same family have been keeping bees and making honey. Also, they grow other local produce and nuts. A small store sells honey, jams, spoon sweets, and other seasonal products.
Or sample them under a tree with a cup of coffee or a glass of fresh juice. What a great way to take a break.
To read more, click on any of the orange links.
“See the World” Continued on Page T3 “Taste the World” Continued on T11
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