Greece 10: Olympia

Ancient Olympia was not a city. It was simply the place where the Games were held. It was huge. Panhellenic cities (meaning Greek-cultural sites in and outside of Greece) and later Rome constructed buildings and monuments there in part to show their own importance.

 

Artificial lake, with island, built by the Romans.

The most famous building there was the Temple of Zeus. His statue, 40 feet tall, made of gold and ivory over wood, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Long gone now but you can see a painting of it here.

 

The brick building was the workshop of Phidias, the sculptor who designed the statue and the other decorations for the temple. It stood right next to the temple and was exactly the same size, so Phidias could get the perspective right. I think that's clever.

 

 

These sculptures (from the Olympia Museum) are from the western pediment of the temple, meaning the long narrow triangle at the end of the temple (notice how the figures get shorter as they move farther from the center). It represents the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original Olympic Stadium.

 From the Olympia Museum.

Zeus with his child lover, Ganymede.                                                            Nike

Next stop: Dimitsana