Σάββατο 25 Αυγούστου 2012

Ancient Olympia




My dear friend   Rosemary   wherefivevalleysmeet.blogspot. com    A  GREAT  blog ,  please visit her ,
 asked me yesterday if my name derived from Mountain Olympus . I  must to answer about this .I have the name of my grandmother from my father's side, not ever met her , because she was killed by a mine in 1941 during World War II.
Rosemary   gave me the idea to post about Ancient Olympia. The London Olympics are came over but the Olympic flame is always lit in our hearts.
Unfortunately, while I have visited too many archaeological sites of our country, I have not gone there yet ... It's in my plans ..



Olympia, Greece
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ancient Olympia
Αρχαία Ολυμπία

Olympia (Greek: Ολυμπία Olympía), a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, the most famous games in history. The Olympic Games were held every four years, dating back to 776 BC.[1] In 394 AD, emperor Theodosius I abolished them as they were then considered reminiscent of paganism.[citation needed] The first Olympic Games were in honor of Zeus.




Olympia among the main Greek sanctuaries
The sanctuary, known as the Altis, consists of an unordered arrangement of various buildings. Enclosed within the temenos (sacred enclosure) are the Temple of Hera (or Heraion/Heraeum) and Temple of Zeus, the Pelopion and the area of the altar, where the sacrifices were made. The hippodrome and later stadium were also to the east.
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 Palaestra, the workshop of Pheidias, the Gymnasion and the Leonidaion.
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 which housed this statue, the studio of Pheidias was excavated in the 1950s. Evidence found there, such as sculptor's tools, corroborates this opinion. The ancient ruins sit north of the Alfeios River and Mount Kronos (named after the Greek deity Kronos). The Kladeos, a tributary of the Alfeios, flows around the area. Its located in the part of Greece which is called Peloponesse. In Ancient Greece, Olympia was sacred ground to the Greeks.
[edit]Site plan


1: North-East Propylon – 2: Prytaneion – 3: Philippeion – 4: Temple of Hera – 5: Pelopion – 6: Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus – 7: Metroon,, – 8: Treasuries – 9: Crypt (arched way to the stadium) – 10: Stadium – 11: Echo stoa – 12: Building of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe – 13: Hestia stoa – 14: Hellenistic building – 15: Temple of Zeus – 16: Altar of Zeus – 17: Ex-voto of Achaeans – 18: Ex-voto of Mikythos – 19: Nike of Paeonius – 20: Gymnasion – 21: Palaestra – 22: Theokoleon – 23: Heroon – 24: Phidias' workshop and paleochristian basilica – 25: Baths of Kladeos – 26: Greek baths – 27 and 28: Hostels – 29: Leonidaion – 30: South baths – 31: Bouleuterion – 32: South stoa – 33: Villa of Nero
Treasuries. I: Sicyon – II: Syracuse – III: Epidamnus ? – IV: Byzantium ? – V: Sybaris ? – VI: Cyrene ? – VII: Unindentified – VIII: Altar ? – IX: Selinunte – X: Metapontum – XI: Megara – XII: Gela
[edit]History



                                                             The Olympia stadium

  
The Olympic flame of the modern-day Olympic Games is lit by reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror in front of the Temple of Hera 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 Olympia stadium.
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 opened in 2005. The distance from Pyrgos is 20 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. The area is hilly and mountainous; most of the area within Olympia is forested.
Panagiotis Kondylis, one of the most prominent modern Greek thinkers and philosophers, was born and raised in Olympia. When Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee, died in 1937, a monument to him was erected at ancient Olympia. Emulating Evangelis Zappas, whose head is buried under a statue in front of the Zappeion, his heart was buried at the monument
All these I posted are from  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympia,_Greece



                            Please , click here  or see the following video , just to remember ......
            
                         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53JiD_19zvw&feature=related
                 

7 σχόλια:

  1. Dear Olympia - little did I know when I asked you the question relating to your lovely name that it would result in this wonderful and informative post.
    The history of ancient Greece would take a lifetime to absorb and discover. You have, however, explained so well and thoroughly the ancient Olympian games here for us all to read and enjoy.
    I have visited Delphi and seen where the Pythian Games were held, in fact I ran along the track there for a short way, like most people do. I seem to remember that the Pythian Games were held in honour of Apollo.
    Thank you dear Olympia for this comprehensive post, and what a wonderful background it gives to your lovely name.

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  2. I do hope you get to visit Olympia one day. How far is from where you are? Hope you are having a lovely day. Tammy

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  3. After meeting you via Green Day, I am calling by again to thankyou for becoming a follower of my photography blog, it is appreciated and I am happily returning the gesture. It will be interesting to see more of Greece via your blog. The Oylmpics this year made me feel proud to be British as you must be proud to be Greek where they originated.

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  4. Πολύ ωραιά ανάρτηση Ολυμπία μου!Γιά όσους εκτός Ελλάδος δέν γνωρίζουν τήν προέλευση τής φλόγας τών Ολυμπιακών αγώνων!Στό βίντεο βλέπω τόν Κακλαμανάκη μέ τήν φλόγα καί νοιώθω υπερήφανη ,ήταν γειτονόπουλο μας παλιά στό Λαγονήσι καί τόν βλέπαμε νά κάνη σέρφινγκ κάθε μέρα στήν παραλία μας!Νά είσαι καλά φίλη μου!Καλό Σ/Κ σού εύχομαι!!

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  5. A veery interesting post Olympia.
    Greece has such a rich history and so much to see and learn.
    Today I learnt some more.
    great photos of the old city
    xxx val

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  6. Very interesting and such good pictures. Wishing you a delightful weekend!

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  7. Μπράβο Ολυμπία!!
    Πολύ όμορφη ανάρτηση!

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