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{{redirect|Altis}}
{{Distinguish|Olympia, Washington}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox Greek Dimos
| name = Olympia
| name_local = {{lang|el|Ολυμπία}}
|type = municipality
| image_map = 2011 Dimos Archeas Olymbias.png
| image_skyline = Ancient Olympia, Greece2.jpg
| caption_skyline = View of the Palestra, a center for wrestling
| city_flag =
| city_seal =
| coordinates = {{Coord|37|38|18|N|21|37|48|E|display=inline,title}}
| elevation = 60
| periph = [[Western Greece]]
| periphunit = [[Elis (regional unit)|Elis]]
| pop_municipality = 11153
| area_municipality = 545.1
| pop_municunit = 6859
| area_municunit = 178.9
| pop_community = 882
| mayor =
| since =
| population_as_of = 2021
| postal_code = 2708 25
| area_code = 26240
| licence =
| website =
| footnotes = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
|child = yes
|Official_name = Archaeological Site of Olympia
|ID = 517
|Year = 1989
|Criteria = Cultural: i, ii, iii, iv, vi
|Area = 105.6 ha
|Buffer_zone = 1,458.18 ha
}}
}}
'''Olympia''' ({{langx|el|label=[[Modern Greek]]|Ολυμπία}} {{IPA|el|oli(m)ˈbi.a|}}; {{langx|grc|Ὀλυμπία}} {{IPA|el|olympí.aː|}}), officially '''Archaia Olympia''' ({{langx|el|Αρχαία Ολυμπία}} {{lit|Ancient Olympia}}), is a small town in [[Elis (regional unit)|Elis]] on the [[Peloponnese]] peninsula in [[Greece]], famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name. The site was a major [[Panhellenic sanctuary|Panhellenic religious sanctuary]] of [[ancient Greece]], where the [[ancient Olympic Games]] were held every [[Olympiad|four years]] throughout [[classical antiquity]], from the 8th century{{nbsp}}BC to the 4th century{{nbsp}}AD.<ref>{{harvnb|Bickerman|1982|p=75}}</ref> They were [[Olympic Games|restored on a global basis]] in 1894 in honor of the ideal of peaceful international contention for excellence.
The sacred precinct, named the Altis, was primarily dedicated to [[Zeus]], although other gods were worshipped there. The games conducted in his name drew visitors from all over the Greek world as one of a group of such "Panhellenic" centres, which helped to build the identity of the ancient Greeks as a nation. Despite the name, it is nowhere near [[Mount Olympus]] in northern Greece, where the [[twelve Olympians]], the major deities of [[ancient Greek religion]], were believed to live.
Ancient history records that [[Pisa, Greece|Pisa]] and [[Elis (city)|Elis]], other villages in the region, contended with Olympia for management of the precinct, and that Olympia won, implying that the village was not identical to the precinct. The putative ___location of the ancient village is the modern village, which appears to have been inhabited continuously since ancient times.
The archaeological site held over 760 significant buildings, and ruins of many of these survive.
Of special interest to Greeks is the [[Pelopion]], tomb of the quasi-mythical king [[Pelops]], who gives his name to the Peloponnese and was ancestor of [[Agamemnon]] and [[Menelaus]], the Greek kings of the [[Trojan War]].{{#tag:ref|This mythical line is [[Zeus]]→ [[Tantalus]]→ Pelops→ [[Atreus]]→ Agamemnon and Menelaus. The Greeks of the times identified the place as the burial site of Pelops, ruler of the Peloponnese. If Agamemnon was real, and was the master of archaeological [[Mycenae]], enemy of archaeological [[Troy]], ally of archaeological [[Pylos]] and archaeological [[Sparta]], then Pelops, his grandfather, must have been a king in Mycenaean times. If the mythical line was compressed, Pelops may have been indefinitely earlier, unless he was entirely mythical.|group="note"}} The tomb suggests that he may not have been entirely mythical.
Another ___location that has a special interest to both ancients and moderns is [[Stadium at Olympia|the stadium]]. It is basically a field with start and end lines marked off by transverse curbing. The athletes entered under an archway of a vaulted corridor at the start. Spectators sat mainly on the field's sloping flanks. The length of this field became the standard [[Stadion (unit)|stadion]], an ancient Greek unit of distance, which appears in all the geographers.<ref group="note">This unit is more difficult to measure today. There were at least 3 stadiums, termed Stadium I, II, and III. The one remaining is III. One stadion was defined as 600 [[pous|podes]], one pous being the ancient Greek "foot." The length of the foot determined the length of the stadium, but standard feet varied both by intention and accidentally. Stadium III had a length of {{cvt|192.27|m|yd}}, which implied a pous of 320.45 mm, close to the 324 of the [[doric order]] of architecture. The Doric stadion might therefore be regarded as the original Greek, which seems to have been built on the Luwian pous of 323 mm.</ref> The stadium has been resurrected for Olympic use with no intentional alteration of the ancient topography. Transient stands are easily thrown up and removed.
The first major games to have been played at the Olympia stadium were said to have first begun in the 720s. These prestigious ancient games took place during the festival of Zeus at Olympia. Olympia was a sanctuary, but it was within the independent state of Elis, and since the Eleans managed the games, there was sometimes bias. The famous Olympic truce only mandated safe passage for visitors and did not stop all wars in Greece or even at Olympia.<ref>The Oxford Handbook of Sports History, Donald G. Kyle, Page 85</ref>
The village services the adjacent archaeological site to the southeast. The [[Kladeos]] River forms the site's western border. Visitors walk over the bridge to find themselves in front of the main gate. Full visitation is an extensive walking event. Some excavation is in progress there frequently. Moveable artifacts for the most part have found a home in one of the site's three museums.
==Ancient site==
[[File:Map greek sanctuaries-en.svg|thumb|280px|Olympia among the main Greek [[Sanctuary|sanctuaries]]]]
===Architectural summary===
Olympia lies in the valley of the [[Alfeios|Alfeiós River]] (also Anglicized as Alpheus or Alpheios) in the western part of the [[Peloponnese]], today around {{cvt|18|km|mi}} from the [[Gulf of Kyparissia]] in the [[Ionian Sea]], but in antiquity perhaps half that distance.<ref name="sciencedaily1">{{cite web |title=Olympia Hypothesis: Tsunamis Buried the Cult Site On the Peloponnese |publisher=Science Daily |date=11 July 2011 |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110710204240.htm |access-date=12 July 2011 |archive-date=15 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715020529/http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110710204240.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref group="note">"In earlier times, Olympia was not 22 kilometers away from the sea as it is today. Back then, the coastline was located eight or perhaps even more kilometers further inland ..." Professor Dr Andreas Vött of the Institute of Geography of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.</ref>
According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], there were over 70 temples in total, as well as treasuries, altars, statues, and other structures dedicated to many deities.<ref name="Wilson">Wilson</ref> Somewhat in contrast to [[Delphi]], where a similar large collection of monuments were tightly packed within the [[temenos]] boundary, Olympia sprawled beyond the boundary wall, especially in the areas devoted to the games.
To the north of the sanctuary can be found the [[Prytaneion]] and the [[Philippeion]], as well as the array of [[Treasuries at Olympia|treasuries]] representing the various city-states. The [[Metroon]] lies to the south of these treasuries, with the Echo Stoa to the east. The [[hippodrome]] and later [[stadium]] were located east of the Echo Stoa. To the south of the sanctuary is the South Stoa and the [[bouleuterion]], whereas the [[Palaestra at Olympia|palaestra]], the workshop of [[Pheidias]], the [[Gymnasium (ancient Greece)|gymnasion]], and the [[Leonidaion]] lie to the west.
Olympia was also known for the gigantic [[chryselephantine statue|chryselephantine]] ([[ivory]] and [[gold]] on a wooden frame) [[Statue of Zeus at Olympia|statue of Zeus]] that was the [[cult image]] in his temple, 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, Olympia|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 Alpheios River and south of Mount Kronos (named after the Greek deity [[Cronus|Kronos]]). The [[Kladeos]], a tributary of the Alpheios, borders the west.
===Site plan===
[[File:Plan Olympia sanctuary-en.svg|thumb|center|700px]]
{| style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|+ '''Legend'''
! scope="col" style="width: 0.5em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 12em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 0.5em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 12em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 0.5em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 12em;" |
|-
| 1. || Northwest [[Propylaea|Propylon]] || 12. || Building of [[Ptolemy II]] and [[Arsinoe II]] || 23. || [[Heroon]]
|-
| 2. || [[Prytaneion]] || 13. || Hestia stoa || 24. || [[Pheidias]]' workshop and paleochristian basilica
|-
| 3. || [[Philippeion]] || 14. || Hellenistic building || 25. || Baths of [[Kladeos]]
|-
| 4. || [[Temple of Hera, Olympia|Temple of Hera]] || 15. || [[Temple of Zeus, Olympia|Temple of Zeus]] || 26. || [[Greek Baths in ancient Olympia|Greek baths]]
|-
| 5. || [[Pelopion]] || 16. || Altar of Zeus || 27. || rowspan="2" | Hostels
|-
| 6. || [[Nymphaeum (Olympia)|Nymphaeum]] of [[Herodes Atticus]] || 17. || Ex-voto of [[Achaea (ancient region)|Achaeans]] || 28.
|-
| 7. || [[Metroon]] || 18. || Ex-voto of [[Mikythos]] || 29. || [[Leonidaion]]
|-
| 8. || [[Treasuries at Olympia|Treasuries]] || 19. || [[Paeonius of Mende|Nike of Paeonius]] || 30. || South baths
|-
| 9. || Crypt (arched way to the stadium) || 20. || [[Gymnasion]] || 31. || [[Bouleuterion of Ancient Olympia|Bouleuterion]]
|-
| 10. || [[Stadium at Olympia|Stadium]] || 21. || [[Palaestra at Olympia|Palaestra]] || 32. || South stoa
|-
| 11. || [[Echo Stoa]] || 22. || [[Theokoleon]] || 33. || [[Villa of Nero]]
|}
{| style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|+ '''Treasuries'''
! scope="col" style="width: 0.5em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 8em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 0.5em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 8em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 0.5em;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 8em;" |
|-
| I. || [[Sicyon]] || IV. || [[Byzantium]](?) || VII. || Unidentified || X. || [[Metapontum]]
|-
| II. || [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] || V. || [[Sybaris]](?) || VIII. || Altar(?) || XI. || [[Megarian Treasury (Olympia)|Megara]]
|-
| III. || [[Epidamnus]](?) || VI. || [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]](?) || IX. || [[Selinunte]] || XII. || [[Gela]]
|}
===The Altis===
[[File:Olympia 34.jpg|thumb|280px|The archaeological site showing the stadium, the temple of Hera, the temple of Zeus. The line of trees, upper right, border a road to the north of the Alfeios. Geologically the site is terraced into the gentle north slope of the Alfeios valley visible in the background.]]
The Altis was an irregular quadrangular area more than {{cvt|183|m|yd}} on each side and walled except to the North where it was bounded by the Kronion (Mount Kronos).<ref>{{cite web |title=Altis |author=((Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica)) |website=Britannica |access-date=10 July 2021 |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/17740/Altis |archive-date=28 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428125231/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/17740/Altis |url-status=live }}</ref> It consisted of an arrangement of buildings, the most important of which are the [[Temple of Hera, Olympia|Temple of Hera]] (or Heraion/Heraeum), the [[Temple of Zeus, Olympia|Temple of Zeus]], the [[Pelopion]], and open sites used for traditional activities, such as the area of the great altar of Zeus, where the largest sacrifices were made.<ref group=note>The final configuration of the Altis is depicted in {{cite web |title=Introduction to tour of Olympia |website=Tour with pictures |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/site_1.html |publisher=Perseus Digital Library |access-date=13 July 2021 |archive-date=11 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211000638/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/site_1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
====The Herakleian sanctuary====
[[Pindar]], the 5th-century-BC Theban poet, says that [[Heracles]] founded the "sacred precinct" (zatheon alsos) next to the tomb of [[Pelops]] in honor of [[Zeus]], his own father, referring to the precinct founded as the Altis, and made the "encircling area a resting-place for feasting," honoring the river [[Alfeios]] and the 12 Olympian gods. He assigned the name "Hill of Cronus" to the previously unnamed hill, and then instituted the Olympic games.<ref>{{cite book |author=Pindar |title=Olympian |translator=Diane Arnson Svarlien |year=1990 |publisher=Perseus Digital Library |chapter=Olympian 10 |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DO.%3Apoem%3D10 |access-date=12 July 2021 |archive-date=12 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712104308/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0162:book%3DO.:poem%3D10 |url-status=live }} The Greek is accessible from this site, as well as syntactical notes of every Greek word in it.</ref> Pindar creates in a single, compact sentence, what has been called "Olympic space".<ref group=note>The sentence is (lines 44-48 of the poem) ... Διὸς ἄλκιμος υἱὸς σταθμᾶτο ζάθεον ἄλσος πατρὶ μεγίστῳ: περὶ δὲ πάξαις Ἄλτιν μὲν ὅγ᾽ ἐν καθαρῷ διέκρινε, τὸ δὲ κύκλῳ πέδον ἔθηκε δόρπου λύσιν ..., which may be translated literally as "the stalwart son of Zeus measured out the sacred grove to his greatest father: having fixed the Altis on the one hand he distinguished it in a clear space and fashioned a plain in the surrounding circle as a relaxing place for festivals." The English does not capture the Greek exactly; the Greek words require some exegesis.</ref> The space is a work of man created by a sequence of operations: first, Herakles lays out (''stathmato'') the sacred grove (''alsos'') with a surveying instrument called a ''stathme''. Second, he "fixes" the border of the ''Altis'' (''paxais Altin''), and third clears the space around it (''en katharo diekrine''). Fourth, he "made" (''etheke'') ground (''pedon'') as an entertainment space (''lusin'') for festivals (''dorpou''). Then he goes on to "honor" the ford of the Alfeios (necessarily to the south), the twelve gods, and to name the unnamed hill for Kronos. He then can hold the first games.{{sfn|Eckerman|2013|pp=28–30}}
Today trees have been allowed to grow over the site quasi-grove. These are primarily [[Cercis siliquastrum]], colloquially "Judas-tree" (nothing to do with Judas), a pink-flowering low tree. If they are natural to the site now, they probably were in antiquity. Olea europaea, [[olive]], is of course ubiquitous in the region, usually growing in planted groves, but sometimes wild. [[Platanus orientalis]], the plane tree, is common in the area, and [[Pinus halepensis]]. [[Aleppo pine]], also covered Kronion until the fires of 2007–2009.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
There is not much indication of what structures were in the Altis, except the games must have been part of the "feasting" and therefore were held in the "resting-place". The size of the precinct must have varied as the site developed, as the original stadium is known to have extended well within the later east wall. That the temple of Zeus was built within the precinct is a reasonable assumption. As there is no trace of a succession of walls, the wall might reasonably be presumed to have been a late feature, but no later than Pindar.<ref group=note>An alternative view is that the stadium began inside the Altis but was moved outside: {{cite web |title=The Stadium and the Events |website=A Tour of Ancient Olympia |publisher=Perseus Digital Library |access-date=14 July 2021 |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/site_6q.html |archive-date=14 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714130146/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/site_6q.html |url-status=live }}. During its inside phase the spectators must have sat on the hill. In addition to disrespecting Pindar, this view requires a distance of about {{cvt|100|m|ft}} between the spectators and the events, a disadvantage easily seen from the current road on the hill, the steep cliff of the hill also being a disadvantage.</ref>
====The Pelopian sanctuary====
[[File:Remains of the Pelopeion in Olympia on October 14, 2020.jpg|thumb|Peribolos wall remains seen in the foreground from the south against the backdrop of the Temple of Hera]]
The classical [[Pelopion]] was a separate sanctuary defined by a [[peribolos]] wall dating to the 6th century BC,<ref>{{cite web |title=Olympia, Pelopeion (Building) |website=Art & Archaeology Artifact Browser |publisher=Perseus Digital Library |access-date=14 July 2021 |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifactBrowser?object=Building&field=Region&value=Elis&page=10 |archive-date=14 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714093916/https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifactBrowser?object=Building&field=Region&value=Elis&page=10 |url-status=live }}</ref> long after the conventional start of the Olympic games, 776 BC. This was certainly a remodeling of a previously existing sanctuary of [[Pelops]]. A 1987-plus excavation of the Pelopion established "a continuous ceramic sequence for the 11th century onward" including [[Sub-Mycenaean pottery|submycenaean]] (1100–1000 BC) and [[Protogeometric style|protogeometric]] (1000–900 BC). There was a good sprinkling of "cultic" material (votive figurines and vases).<ref>{{harvnb|Averett|2007|p=88}}</ref>
====Etymologies====
The name Altis was derived from a corruption of the [[ancient Elis|Elean]] word also meaning "the grove" because the area was wooded, olive and plane trees in particular.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
==History==
{{for-multi|a history of the Olympic Games|Olympic Games|and|Ancient Olympic Games}}
[[File:Ancient Olympia, Greece37.jpg|thumb|200px|Crypt (arched way to the stadium)]]
===Prehistory===
It used to be thought that the site had been occupied since about 1500 BC, with a religious cult of Zeus developing around 1000 BC. It may be that instead there was only a sanctuary from the 9th or 8th centuries, though the question remains in debate.<ref name="Wilson"/> Others believe that remains of food and burnt offerings dating back to the 10th century BC give evidence of a long history of religious activity at the site. No buildings have survived from this earliest period of use.<ref name="d">{{cite web |url=http://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/olympics/classical/ |title=Olympics Through Time |website=sunsite.icm.edu.pl |access-date=22 February 2007 |archive-date=9 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309112332/http://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/olympics/classical/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Geometric and Archaic periods===
[[File:Olympia - Temple of Hera 3.jpg|thumb|left|225px|Ruins of the [[Temple of Hera (Olympia)|Temple of Hera]]]]
The first Olympic festival was organized on the site by the authorities of [[ancient Elis|Elis]] in the 8th century BC – with tradition dating the first games at 776 BC. Major changes were made to the site around 700 BC, including levelling land and digging new wells. Elis' power diminished and the sanctuary fell into the hands of the [[Pisa (Greece)|Pisatans]] in 676 BC. The Pisatans organized the games until the late 7th century BC.<ref name="d"/>
The earliest evidence of building activity on the site dates from around 600 BC. At this time, the Skiloudians, allies of the Pisatans, built the [[Temple of Hera (Olympia)|Temple of Hera]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ancient Olympic Games and the Elis Olympic Coins for Olympia |url=https://elisolympiccoins.com/ |access-date=9 March 2021 |website=Elis Olympic Coins |archive-date=17 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117022237/https://elisolympiccoins.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Treasuries at Olympia|Treasuries]] and the [[Pelopion]] were built during the course of the 6th century BC. The secular structures and athletic arenas were also under construction during this period, including the [[Bouleuterion]]. The first stadium was constructed around 560 BC and it consisted of just a simple track. The stadium was remodelled around 500 BC with sloping sides for spectators and shifted slightly eastward. Over the course of the 6th century BC a range of sports were added to the Olympic festival. In 580 BC, Elis, in alliance with Sparta, occupied Pisa and regained the control over the sanctuary.<ref name="d"/>
===Classical period===
[[File:Olympia-02.jpg|thumb|Silver [[Tetradrachm]] from Olympia, 360 BC. Obverse: Head of [[Zeus]] wearing [[laurel wreath]]. Reverse: Head of the [[nymph|nymph Olympia]] wearing [[Headband|sphendone]]. ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑ to right.]]
The [[Ancient Greece|classical period]], between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, was the golden age of the site at Olympia. A wide range of new religious and secular buildings as well as structures were made.<ref name="d"/>
The [[Temple of Zeus, Olympia|Temple of Zeus]] was built mid 5th century BC. Its size, scale and ornaments were beyond anything previously constructed on the site. The [[Greek Baths in ancient Olympia|Greek Baths]] and further sporting facilities, including the final iteration of the stadium, and the [[hippodrome]] (for chariot-racing) were constructed. The [[Prytaneion]] was built at the northwest side of the site in 470 BC.<ref name="d"/>
In the late classical period, further structures were added to the site. The [[Metroon]] was constructed near the Treasuries around 400 BC. The erection of the [[Echo Stoa]], around 350 BC, separated the sanctuary from the area of the games and stadium.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} The South Stoa was built at the southern edge of the sanctuary at approximately the same time.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
===Hellenistic period===
[[File:Olimpia FilipTemple.JPG|thumb|Ruins of the [[Philippeion]]]]
[[File:Greece-0585 (2215943566).jpg|thumb|[[Palaestra at Olympia]]]]
[[File:Stadio Olimpia 2007.JPG|thumb|The [[Stadium at Olympia|Olympia stadium]]]]
The late 4th century BC saw the erection of the [[Philippeion]]. Around 300 BC the largest building on the site, the [[Leonidaion]], was constructed to house important visitors. Due to the increasing significance of the games, further athletic buildings were constructed including the [[Palaestra]] (3rd century BC), [[Gymnasion]] (2nd century BC) and bath houses (c.300 BC). Finally, in 200 BC, a vaulted archway was erected linking the entrance of the stadium to the sanctuary.<ref name="d"/>
===Roman period===
During the Roman period, the games were opened up to all citizens of the [[Roman Empire]]. A programme of new buildings and extensive repairs, including to the Temple of Zeus, took place. In 150 AD, the [[Nympheum]] (or [[Exedra]]) was built. New baths replaced the older Greek examples in 100 AD and an aqueduct was constructed in 160 AD.<ref name="d"/>
The 3rd century saw the site suffer heavy damage from a series of earthquakes. Invading tribes in 267 AD led to the centre of the site being fortified with material robbed from its monuments. Despite the destruction, the Olympic festival continued to be held at the site until the last Olympiad in 393 AD, after which the Christian emperor [[Theodosius I]] implemented a ban. The Temple of Zeus was apparently destroyed around 426 AD, during the [[persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire]], following an edict by [[Theodosius II]] enforcing the ban on pagan festivals. The workshop of Pheidias was turned into a [[Basilica]] and the site was inhabited by a Christian community.<ref name="d"/> Archaeological evidence suggests that small scale Olympic events (perhaps in Christian guise) were still being held secretly until [[Justinian's plague]] and two earthquakes devastated the place mid 6th century.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} Repeated floods ensured that the settlement was finally abandoned altogether in the early 7th Century.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}
==Archaeology==
===Discovery and early excavations===
[[File:Plain d'Olympie. Partie des ruines (détail).jpg|left|thumb|300x300px|Map of the first archaeological excavations in Olympia and of the [[Temple of Zeus, Olympia|temple of Olympian Zeus]] discovered by the expedition of Morea in May 1829 (''by Abel Blouet and Pierre Achille Poirot'')]]
Over time the site was buried under alluvial deposits, up to 8 metres deep, long thought to be the result of river flooding. Modern research hypothesizes instead—based on the presence of mollusc and gastropod shells and foraminifera— that the site was buried by sea waters resulting from repeated [[tsunamis]].<ref name="sciencedaily1"/><ref group=note>"Both the composition and thickness of the sediments we find in Olympia do not go with the hydraulic potential of the Kladeos River and the geomorphological inventory of the valley." Dr. Vött.</ref> The exact site was re-discovered in 1766 by the English antiquarian [[Richard Chandler (antiquary)|Richard Chandler]].<ref name="f">Sherry Marker, [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9B07EFDC1E3BF93BA25754C0A9629C8B63 "Where Athletes Once Ran"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103204245/https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9B07EFDC1E3BF93BA25754C0A9629C8B63 |date=3 November 2007 }} in the ''New York Times'', 18 July 2004.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Gates |first=Charles |title=Ancient cities: the archaeology of urban life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome |year=2003 |publisher=Psychology Press |page=234}}</ref> Since then, the site had been visited by several other antiquarian-travellers such as [[Louis-François-Sébastien Fauvel]], [[François Pouqueville]], [[William Gell]], [[Charles Robert Cockerell]] and [[William Martin Leake]].
The first excavation was not carried out until 1829, when the French archaeologists of the "[[Morea expedition|Expedition Scientifique de Morée]]" arrived on the site of the sanctuary at Olympia on 10 May 1829. As most of the buildings were invisible, the general identification was made possible thanks to the more precise descriptions of [[Edward Dodwell]] and [[John Spencer Stanhope]]. The French archaeologists spent six weeks on the site.<ref name=":9">Yiannis Saïtas et al., ''L'œuvre de l'expédition scientifique de Morée 1829-1838'', Edited by Yiannis Saïtas, Editions Melissa, 2011 (Part I) - 2017 (Part II).</ref><ref name=":10">[[Eugène Emmanuel Amaury Duval|Eugène-Emmanuel Amaury-Duval]] (painter, member of the scientific commission), ''[[iarchive:souvenirs182918300amau/page/n7/mode/2up|Souvenirs (1829-1830)]]'', Librairie Plon, E. Plon, Nourrit et Cie, imprimeurs-éditeurs, Paris, 1885.</ref><ref>Abel Blouet, [https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/blouet1831 ''Expedition scientifique de Morée ordonnée par le Gouvernement Français; Architecture, Sculptures, Inscriptions et Vues du Péloponèse, des Cyclades et de l'Attique''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423103529/https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/blouet1831 |date=23 April 2022 }}, Abel Blouet, Amable Ravoisié, Achille Poirot, Félix Trézel et Frédéric de Gournay, Volume I, Firmin Didot, Paris, 1831</ref> [[Léon-Jean-Joseph Dubois]] (director of the section of Archaeology) and [[Guillaume-Abel Blouet|Abel Blouet]] (director of the section of Architecture and Sculpture) undertook the first excavations, accompanied by the painters [[Pierre Achille Poirot]], [[Pierre Félix Trezel|Pierre Félix Trézel]] and [[Eugène Emmanuel Amaury Duval|Amaury-Duval]]. The site was divided topographically into squares, trenches were dug, excavations were undertaken in straight lines, and models for restoration were proposed: archaeology was becoming rationalized, and it was in this way that the ___location and identity of the [[Temple of Zeus, Olympia|Temple of Zeus]] were determined for the first time.<ref>[http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/sammlung16/werk/blouet1831.xml?docname=blouet1831&pageid=PAGE0164 Map of the ___location of the temple of Zeus at Olympia] (in Abel Blouet et Amable Ravoisié, ''Expédition scientifique de Morée, ordonnée par le Gouvernement Français. Architecture, Sculptures, Inscriptions et Vues du Péloponèse, des Cyclades et de l’Attique.'', Firmin Didot, 1831.)</ref>
===1875–1881===
[[File:Kronios baths at olympia.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Kronios baths or north baths]]
Since the 1870s, the excavation and preservation of Ancient Olympia has been the responsibility of the [[German Archaeological Institute at Athens]]. The first major excavation of Olympia began in 1875, funded by the German government after negotiation of exclusive access by [[Ernst Curtius]]. Other archaeologists responsible for the dig were [[Gustav Hirschfeld]], [[George Treu]], [[Adolf Furtwängler]] (who worked alongside architects), [[A. Boetticher]], [[Wilhelm Dörpfeld]], and [[Richard Borrmann]]. They excavated the central part of the sanctuary including the Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, Metroon, Bouleuterion, Philipeion, Echo Stoa, Treasuries and Palaestra. Important finds included sculptures from the Temple of Zeus, the [[Athena|Nike]] of [[Paeonius of Mende|Paeonius]], the [[Hermes]] of [[Praxiteles]] and many bronzes. In total 14,000 objects were recorded. The finds were displayed in a museum on the site.<ref name="e">[http://www.dainst.org/index_548_en.html Olympia] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611073608/http://www.dainst.org/index_548_en.html |date=11 June 2007 }} at the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut</ref>
===1900–1950===
Excavation continued in a more limited way by Dörpfeld between 1908 and 1929 but a new systematic excavation began in 1936 on the occasion of the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in [[Berlin]] under [[Emil Kunze]] and [[Hans Schleif]]. Their excavation focus was on the area to the south of the stadium, the South Stoa, bath complex and gymnasion.<ref name="e"/>
===1950 to present===
Between 1952 and 1966, Kunze continued the excavation joined by architect [[Alfred Mallwitz]]. They excavated Pheidias' workshop, the Leonidaion and the north wall of the stadium. They also excavated the southeast section of the sanctuary and out of approximately 140 debris pits found many bronze and ceramic objects along with terracotta roof tiles.<ref name="e"/>
Mallwitz took charge of the excavations between 1972 and 1984 revealing important dating evidence for the stadium, graves, and the ___location of the Prytaneion. From 1984 to 1996, Helmut Kyrieleis took over the site and the focus shifted to the earlier history of the sanctuary with excavation of the Prytaneion and Pelopion.<ref name="e"/>
In March 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 2,500 year-old unbroken bronze bull idol near to the temple of Greek deity [[Zeus]]. According to archaeologist Zaharaoula Leventouri, one of the statue's horns stuck to the ground after a heavy rainfall and was carefully removed from the area. Researchers also revealed fine pottery remains dated back to Greece's [[Geometric art]] period.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gershon |first=Livia |title=Rare Bronze Bull Sacrificed to Zeus Found at Site of the Ancient Olympic Games |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/greek-archaeologists-find-3000-year-old-bronze-bull-180977290/ |date=22 March 2021 |access-date=29 March 2021 |magazine=Smithsonian Magazine |___location=Washington DC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=19 March 2021 |title=Greek archaeologists unearth bronze bull idol in ancient Olympia |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-archaeology-idol-idUSKBN2BB1AO |access-date=29 March 2021 |archive-date=28 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328163637/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-archaeology-idol-idUSKBN2BB1AO |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Τυχαία αποκάλυψη χάλκινου ειδωλίου ταύρου στον Αρχαιολογικό Χώρο Ολυμπίας |url=https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=3703 |access-date=29 March 2021 |website=www.culture.gov.gr |language=el |archive-date=22 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322214025/https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=3703 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=19 March 2021 |title=Rain uncovers bull idol at ancient Olympia |url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/19/rain-uncovers-bull-idol-at-ancient-olympia |access-date=29 March 2021 |work=The Guardian |___location=London |archive-date=1 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401085155/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/19/rain-uncovers-bull-idol-at-ancient-olympia |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Modern Olympia==
===The municipality===
[[File:Olympia train station 2008.jpg|thumb|200px|alt=Olympia railway station|[[Olympia railway station|Olympia's railway station]]]]
[[File:Olimpia Nuova, Piazza principale.jpg|thumb|200px|Modern Olympia square with church]]
The ancient site of the games had been included during all the intervening centuries within a community yet called Olympia. In modern terms it became Archaia Olympia, "Ancient Olympia," and was a deme, or municipality, of its own. In 2011 it was combined for reasons of economy of government with three other former demes within which union the four became municipal units. The terminology can be confusing, as "ancient Olympia" can be either the modern municipal unit, or only the site of the ruins.<ref group=note>The Greeks have a unique municipal system due partly to the terrain and partly as a legacy. The basic residential unit is the deme, translated to "municipality." Demes can be any size but historically they have been mountain villages. They were independent, but independence requires the duplication of municipal government for each village. If instead the demes were several villages, they could pool services. In that case one village is a "municipal unit." These were set by government in the Kallikrates Law of 2011.</ref>
The town has a [[Olympia railway station|railway 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 [[Greece Interstate 74|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 (Ilia)|Pyrgos]] is {{cvt|20|km|0}}, about {{cvt|50|km|0}} SW of [[Lampeia]], W of [[Tripoli, Greece|Tripoli]] and [[Arcadia (regional unit)|Arcadia]] and {{cvt|4|km|0}} north of [[Krestena]] and N of [[Kyparissia]] and [[Messenia]]. The highway passes north of the ancient ruins. A reservoir is located a few kilometres to the west, impounding the Alfeios River for hydroelectric purposes. The catchment up to Olympia is flat or rolling and is agricultural; upstream from Olympia the river drains the foothills of the mountains. Much of the land around the archaeological site is given to dendriculture; that is, symmetric rows of olive trees.
The site and town of Olympia were threatened by the [[2007 Greek forest fires|2007 forest fires]], but no damage was reported.
===Municipal units===
[[File:Olympia Model 1.jpg|thumb|200px|Architectural model of the enclosure of the sanctuary of Olympia, Greece.]]
[[File:Olympia flame1.jpg|thumb|200px|Olympian flame lighting ceremony]]
The name of Archaia Olympia ("Ancient Olympia") was extended to the new municipality of 2011. Four former municipalities became municipal units:<ref name=Kallikratis>{{Cite web |url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL81-32jgAMSfbnMRVjyfnPUeJInJ48_97uHrMts-zFzeyCiBSQOpYnT00MHhcXFRTsb2fGphpq4MKX2ZkaHobySNnvZCNHXvYVvlf80XevW0Q. |title=ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities |language=el |publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306232154/http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL81-32jgAMSfbnMRVjyfnPUeJInJ48_97uHrMts-zFzeyCiBSQOpYnT00MHhcXFRTsb2fGphpq4MKX2ZkaHobySNnvZCNHXvYVvlf80XevW0Q. |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Archaia Olympia
* [[Foloi]]
* [[Lampeia]]
* [[Lasiona, Elis|Lasiona]]
Archaia Olympia now applied to both a municipality and a unit. The municipality has an area of 545.121 km<sup>2</sup>, the municipal unit 178.944 km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name=stat01>{{cite web |url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el |access-date=15 November 2016 |archive-date=21 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
For the subdivisions of the municipal units of Foloi, Lampeia, and Lasiona, see under those topics. The municipal unit of Archaia Olympia is divided into the following communities (villages within the communities given in brackets):<ref name=Kallikratis/>
{|valign=top
|-
|
* Archaia Olympia (Archaia Olympia, Drouva)
* [[Pisa, Greece|Archaia Pisa]] (Archaia Pisa, International Olympic Academy)
* [[Aspra Spitia, Elis|Aspra Spitia]]
* [[Chelidoni]]
* [[Flokas]]
* [[Irakleia, Elis|Irakleia]]
* [[Kafkonia]]
* [[Kamena, Elis|Kamena]] (Kamena, Nea Kamena)
* [[Kladeos, Elis|Kladeos]]
* [[Koskinas]] (Koskinas, Fanaras)
* [[Kryoneri, Olympia|Kryoneri]]
* [[Linaria, Elis|Linaria]]
| valign=top |
* [[Louvro]] (Louvro, Gyros)
* [[Mageiras, Elis|Mageiras]]
* [[Mouria, Elis|Mouria]]
* [[Pefkes]]
* [[Pelopio]]
* [[Platanos, Elis|Platanos]] (Platanos, Agios Georgios)
* [[Pournari, Elis|Pournari]]
* [[Smila, Greece|Smila]] (Smila, Karoutes)
* [[Strefi]] (Strefi, Kato Strefi)
* [[Vasilaki]] (Vasilaki, Ypsilo)
* [[Xirokampos, Elis|Xirokampos]] (Xirokampos, Ampari)
|}
===Historical population===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Year !! Community !! Municipal unit !! Municipality
|-
| 1981 || 1,129 || – || –
|-
| 1991 || 1,742 || 11,229 || –
|-
| 2001 || 936 || 9,689 || -
|-
| 2011 || 972 || 8,128 || 13,409
|-
| 2021 || 882 || 6,859 || 11,153
|}
==Notable people==
*[[Vyronas Davos]], historian and poet
*[[Panagiotis Kondylis]], one of the most prominent modern Greek thinkers and philosophers
*[[Nikos Konstantopoulos]], politician
When [[Pierre de Coubertin]], the founder of the International Olympic Committee, died in 1937, a monument to him was erected at ancient Olympia and, emulating [[Evangelis Zappas]], whose head is buried under a statue in front of the [[Zappeion]], his heart was buried at the monument.<ref>{{cite book |year=1996 |title=The Modern Olympics – A Struggle for Revival |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=0-8018-5374-5 |author=David C. Young}}</ref>
==Reinstitution of the games==
After suppression of the ancient Olympic Games in 394 AD by [[Theodosius I]], the spirit of the games, international peaceful competition by individuals for excellence, continued. The games were resurrected in 1894 based on the ancient model, but more international than ever. The ideology of the new games turned to the site of ancient Olympia for its inspiration, where even the ruins assumed a symbolic significance. 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, Olympia|Temple of Hera]] and then transported by a torch to the place where the Games are held. When the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] was hosted by [[Athens]], the [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's shot put|men's]] and [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's shot put|women's shot put]] competitions were held at the [[Stadium at Olympia|Olympia stadium]].<ref>http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1f910496-f0b7-11d8-a553-00000e2511c8.html#axzz4H1SrUZM5{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/aug/19/athensolympics2004.athletics2 |title=Ancient and modern Shot put revisits Olympia |date=19 August 2004 |website=the Guardian |access-date=11 August 2016 |archive-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410214613/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/aug/19/athensolympics2004.athletics2 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the [[shot put]] is not among the [[Athletics events|modern athletics events]] with a lineage dating back to the ancient Olympics, it was chosen as requiring least disruption at a sensitive archeological site.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clarey |first1=Christopher |title=The Games live again at Olympia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/19/IHT-the-games-live-again-at-olympia.html |access-date=2 August 2024 |work=International Herald Tribune |publisher=The New York Times |date=19 August 2004}}</ref>
Buildings and monuments in Olympia have been selected numerous times as main motif of collectors' coins. One of the recent samples is the €100 Greek [[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Greece)#2003 coinage|Crypt of Olympia commemorative coin]], minted in 2003 to commemorate the 2004 Olympics. In the obverse of the coin, the Crypt of Olympia is depicted. The crypt is a long and narrow vaulted passage through which the athletes and judges entered the Stadium, signifying the opening of the games.
<!--==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Greece}}
Olympia, Greece is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref name=GreekTwinnings>{{cite web |url=http://www.kedke.gr/uploads/twinnedcities.pdf |format=PDF |title=Twinnings |publisher=Central Union of Municipalities & Communities of Greece |___location=Athens |access-date=16 June 2015}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Castelvetrano]], Italy<ref name=GreekTwinnings/>
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Cogoleto]], Italy<ref
name=GreekTwinnings/>-->
==See also==
* [[List of settlements in Elis]]
* [[Archaeological Museum of Olympia]]
* [[German Archaeological Institute at Athens]]
* [[Museum of Ancient Greek Technology]] in Katakolo
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==Citations==
{{Reflist}}
==Bibliography==
* {{cite thesis |last=Averett |first=Erin Walcek |year=2007 |title=Dedications in Clay: Terracotta Figurines in Early Iron Age Greece (c. 1100–700 BCE) |type=PhD |publisher=University of Missouri-Columbia |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/62761526.pdf |access-date=14 July 2021}}
* {{cite book |last=Bickerman |first=E.J. |year=1982 |url=https://archive.org/details/chronologyofanci00bick/page/75 |title=Chronology of the ancient world |publisher=Cornell Univ. Press |___location=Ithaca, N.Y. |edition=2nd |isbn=080141282X}}
* Blouet, A., Ravoisié, A., Poirot, A., Trézel, F., and de Gournay, F. (1831, 1833, 1838). [https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/blouet1831 ''Expedition scientifique de Morée ordonnée par le Gouvernement Français; Architecture, Sculptures, Inscriptions et Vues du Péloponèse, des Cyclades et de l'Attique''], 3 Volumes, Firmin Didot, Paris.
* {{cite journal |first=Christopher |last=Eckerman |title=The Landscape and Heritage of Pindar's Olympia |journal=The Classical World |volume=107 |number=1 |year=2013 |pages=3–33 |doi=10.1353/clw.2013.0102 |jstor=24699861 }}
* Gates, C. (2003). ''Ancient cities: the archaeology of urban life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome''. Psychology Press, 2003. p. 234
* Saïtas, I. et al. (2011, 2017). ''The work of the Morea scientific expedition 1829–1838'', 2 Parts, edited by Yiannis Saïtas, editions Melissa, Athens.
* Wilson, N. (2013). [https://books.google.com/books?id=8pXhAQAAQBAJ&dq=altis+greece&pg=PA513 ''Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece'']. Routledge, 2013. p. 513, {{ISBN|9781136788000}}
* Young, D. C. (1996). ''The Modern Olympics – A Struggle for Revival''. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. {{ISBN|0801853745}}
==External links==
{{Commons category multi|Municipality of Ancient Olympia|Ancient Olympia|Archea Olympia|Archaeological site of Olympia}}
* {{cite web |title=Die Ausgrabungen in Olympia |language=German |website=Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg |year=2005 |url=http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/helios/fachinfo/www/arch/digilit/olympia.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607093903/http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/helios/fachinfo/www/arch/digilit/olympia.html |archive-date=7 June 2007}} Publications of the German excavation in the 19th century digitised by the library of the University of Heidelberg
* {{cite web |title=Olympia |website=Herodotus project |access-date=10 July 2021 |url=http://www.losttrails.com/pages/Hproject/Olympia/Olympia.html}} Extensive black-and-white photo-essays of the site and related artifacts
* {{cite web |title=Olympia Greece Online City Guide |year=2009 |url=http://www.olympia-greece.org/museum.html}}
{{Geographic ___location
|Centre = Archaia Olympia
|North =
|Northeast = [[Foloi]]
|East = [[Tropaia]]
|Southeast = [[Alifeira]]
|South = [[Skillounta]]
|Southwest = [[Volakas, Elis|Volakas]]
|West = [[Pyrgos, Elis|Pyrgos]]
|Northwest = [[Oleni]]
}}
{{Kallikratis-West Greece}}
{{Archaia Olympia div}}
{{Ancient Greece topics}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Greece}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Ancient Greece|Greece|Olympic Games}}
[[Category:Olympia, Greece| ]]
[[Category:Temples in ancient Olympia]]
[[Category:Ancient Olympic Games]]
[[Category:Populated places in Elis]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Western Greece]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Greece]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in the Peloponnese (region)]]
[[Category:Geography of ancient Elis]]
[[Category:Ancient Olympia| ]]
[[Category:Roman sites in Greece]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Western Greece]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Greece]]
[[Category:Populated places in ancient Elis]]
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