Olympia

On September 26th, we docked in Katakolon in the morning having arrived overnight from Pylos. Today’s excursion would take us to Olympia, the site of the original Olympic Games. The port is a small seaside town sitting on the headland of the Peloponnesian peninsula and overlooking the Ionian sea. It became a port in 1857 but these days it is mainly used by cruise ship passengers as a gateway to Ancient Olympia. The town has a population of only about 600 people.

So, we were loaded onto buses and driven to the site of the original Olympic Games.

The ancient site of Olympia was considered sacred ground by the people of the Peloponnese as early as the 10^th century BC. Today, it is most famous as the site of the first Olympic Games held in 776 BC in honour of Zeus. The site is located in the middle of a fertile valley with the rivers of Alfeios and Khladhios flowing past.

The most imposing monument in this religious sanctuary was the Temple of Zeus, constructed in the 5^th century BC.

Other grand monuments here are the Temple of Hera, the Prytaneion and the Philippeion.

The famous Stadium, the largest in its day and with a capacity of 45,000 spectators, was entered through a long, tunnel-like passage constructed in Roman times. In the stadium, we saw the marble “starting line” for the races and also learned that “doping” was even a concern back then. Athletes were known to try to enhance their performance by watering it down with water and adding arsenic to it!

At one point, our guide said she would show us the spot where the Olympic flame is lit for of the games. And, she told us we would be disappointed - and she was right! We were standing in front of a marble alter but basically in a gravel area. She said "this is where it happens" - okay, a bit disappointing but impressive nonetheless.