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Gallery of ancient
Olympia, birthplace of the Olympics
by James Mayfield (Chairman, European Heritage Library)
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this Article • About
the Author • Bibliography/Sources
This is an article with historical
background and my photos of Olympia from my 2007 vacation.
The nation of Greece, whose
unified statehood only began for the first time since the
fall of Alexander some 2,000 years later in the 19th century
after a revolt against the rule of the Turkish Muslims, has
its share of fantastic treasures from a time of polytheism
and the admiration for physical perfection via honing and
self-discipline. Today, the quiet, culturally- and ethnically-proud
modern Greek city of Katakolon in the western Greek islands
allows a person to walk from a brand new small village into
one of the oldest and most developed cities in the world:
Ancient Olympia, the site of the Olympics for nearly 1,000
years and a major center of pre-Christian Greek worship.
For a brief historical background,
at the time of major development of Olympia in the 8th century,
what is today Greece was divided into a variety of warring
Greek tribes and city-states that embraced a common ethnicity,
culture, set of pantheonic gods, and language family (the
Attic tongue or Koine). Some of these Greek tribes were primitive,
whilst others like that of the tiny city of Athens, Sparta,
and the Peloponnese offered philosophical and political advancements
still admired today. To the east, a far superior and more
advanced cultural exerted rule of global proportions: Zoroastrian
Iran. To the west, Roman tribes began to coalesce into the
Roman kingdom. To the north, German nations borne of tribal
confederations as in the Greek isles continued to form. More
and more from 700BCE onward, local Greek city-states used
Olympia as a site of religious piety, and political control
of the city changed hands frequently. Originally, Olympia
was only accessible to priests and holy men due to the fantastic
spiritual importance of the site. 500BCE offered a golden
age of scientific, architectural, military, and physical development.
The world's largest temples outside of Iran and Egypt were
built during this period, including pillars more than 25 feet
high. Walking through the city of ancient Olympia today (which
is not an inhabited city) takes more than an hour due to the
vast size of the construction efforts. There are temples,
headstones with Greek inscriptions, and shelters with every
turn of the head. Roman ruins and baths can also be seen dating
from after the Roman conquest of the Greek tribes following
the collapse of Alexander's short-lived world empire in the
east. The strong connection to the Greek gods in Olympia shifted
to that of the Roman gods after the annexation of the Greek
nations.
The massive Temple of Zeus
in Olympia was believed to house a massive statue of Zeus
adorned with marble and gems that stretched nearly 100 feet
into the air. It is today a Wonder of the World, and appears
completely unimportant and innocuous because it is no more
today than a foundation and a few pillars after it was destroyed
by earthquake, entropy, and a series of attacks by the new
Christian population in the Byzantine-ruled Greek isles. Other
seats of political administrators, chariot raceways stretching
hundreds of feet into the distance (Hippodromes), and other
physical workout areas can be seen dating from this period.
Other statues devoted to old gods and kings all have collapsed
due to earthquake, age, and Christian persecution as well.
The area was an important site for physical training of sons
of all of the Greek city-states and tribes who came to enjoy
the Olympics and the economic and political exchange.
The Olympic Games began in
various forms throughout what is today Greece before Olympia,
but the first fully-developed Olympics initially began here
at Olympia from about 776BCE onward every 4 years. During
the Olympic Games, war between participants and local neighbors
of the Greek race were deemed forbidden, and transgressors
were severely persecuted as consequence of violation. The
Olympics were not a game of sports and social pastimes like
they are today; originally, they were a sign of physical perfection
and self-honing as well as a religious duty to the Greek pantheonic
gods. Great feasting, drinking, and massive festivals occurred
here and locally. Many Greeks abstained from sexuality due
to this piety whilst many are also reported to have engaged
in a great deal of sexual promiscuity, especially by the coming
Romans pre-Christians. By 400CE, however, the massive world
empire of the Romans (which included what is today called
Greece) was formally Christian. Constantine the Great had
previously legalized Christendom, and forbade persecution
of his adopted faith by his citizens (predictably, Jews were
not protected). His successor Theodosius the Great became
one of the most important men in the history of the world
for instantly declaring the religion of the millions of Roman
citizens all over three continents (Africa, Asia, Europe)
as proto-Christianity (Catholicism was not yet of any formal
importance). During the rule of Theodosius, all Olympic Games
were formally banned as pagan, obscene, and reactionary.
Any visitor to Greece cannot
miss a trip to the lovely and culturally-proud seaside town
of Katakolon followed by a beautiful trip through the countryside
to Olympia, one of the greatest archaeological and historical
sites in the world. Below are some photos from my vacation,
including of the local town of Katakolon.
the lovely local city of Katakolon. Squid, octopus, pita bread,
strong red wine, and licorice ouzo liquer make this small
town a gem. (click to enlarge)
Katakolon up the mountains. (click to enlarge)
the main walkway of Olympia proper. (click to enlarge)
a later Roman bath directly to the left of the above. (click
to enlarge)
a major felled pillared structure. (click to enlarge)
a strange tomb-like structure.
a formerly-walled enclosed room. (click to enlarge)
an Olympian courtyard. There are tombs, headstones, and Greek-inscribed
blocks everywhere and everywhere. (click to enlarge)
a Greek inscription on a stone block. Near-mint condition!
another strange structure.
the archway leading out to the physical area. (click
to enlarge)
the main Hippodrome for chariot and personal competitive racing.
(click to enlarge)
the Temple of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
(click to enlarge)
an endless horde of treasures from the local Olympian museum.
(click to enlarge)
another gallery therein. (click to enlarge)
a wall of Greek helmets akin to the movies "Troy"
and "300".
a Greek pottery treasure. (click to enlarge)
some strange discovered relics. Notice the non-Greek Zoroastrian
influence. Iranian-made? Thracian? Hittite?
________________________________________
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
James Mayfield is the owner
and Chairman of the European Heritage Library. I am working
for a doctorate in history, with a specific emphasis on Islamic
and European histories. I am well versed in all world cultures,
ethnicities, religions, languages, politics, and historical
evolution in relation to and against each other.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
USED:
Personal observations, photographs.
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