-1 101 Z Olympia was the most important shrine of the great god Zeus. In his honour the greatest athletic festival in Greece, the Olympic Games, was held there every four years, attracting athletes from throughout the Greek world. Success in the Games brought honour to the athlete, his family, and his city. So important were the Games that wars were suspended to allow athletes to travel to Olympia.
# City map and Model of Olympia.
5 102 B The temple of Zeus, built around 460 BC, contained the statue of the god. It was decorated by the famous Athenian sculptor Pheidias. Little of the temple has survived, but many of its sculptures remain. The temple was destroyed by an earthquake about 1,000 years after it was built.
# The Temple of Zeus, Statue of a prophet.
3 101 X Traces have recently been discovered of the workshop of Pheidias where he made his sculptures. A cup was found there bearing the words, 'I belong to Pheidias'. It was here that the great chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was created.
# Workshop of Pheidias
1 101 X After King Philip II of Macedon conquered Greece in the 330s BC, he erected this building to house statues of himself and of his family - including his son Alexander the Great.
# Philippera
6 101 x The main athletic events took place in the stadium, including the sprint event. The starting line can still be seen today. Grooves were cut in the stone to prevent the sprinter's feet from slipping. The greatest spectacle at the games, however, was the chariot race. It too was held in the stadium.
# Stadium, The starting line at the stadium.
10 101 X The entrance to the stadium was along a long arched tunnel. It allowed the athletes to make a ceremonial, stage-managed appearance. The idea is strikingly similar to modern arenas.
# Stadium entrance, The entrance to the stadium.
4 101 X The baths were designed for the athletes to relax their weary muscles in. Athletes also rubbed themselves with olive oil to stimulate their muscles. Excess oil was removed with a curved bronze body scraper (strigil).
# Baths, Greek vase depicting one athlete oiling another.
7 101 x The wooded hill on the northern side of Olympia belonged to Kronus, the father of Zeus (and perhaps also to his mother).
# Hill of Cronus, Photo of Mount Cronus at Olympia.
#5 101 X The Acropolis was a strongly fortified citadel. It was also the principal sanctuary of the city. The massive rock was crowned with a number of beautiful temples.
# Acropolis, Acropolis.
#2 101 X The theatre of Dionysius Eleutherios was located next to the Acropolis. The site was used from the sixth century onwards, but the present auditorium was built by Lycourgos between 338 and 326 BC. It can seat around 17,500 spectators.
# Theatre of Dionysius Eleutherios.
2 101 X One of the oldest sanctuaries was that of Hera, built around 600 BC. It was decorated with beautiful terracotta plaques, some of which have been recovered. Other terracottas cannot be ascribed to a particular building with any certainty. One of these was this sculpture of Zeus abducting Ganymede, made around 470 BC.
