Olympie (in Greek old Ὀλυμπία , Greek modern Ολυμπία Olympía ) was a religious center of the Greece, in the Peloponnese, more precisely in a small plain of the Élide, on Right Bank of the Alphée close to the city of Pyrgos to approximately 18 kilometers of the Ionian Mer and with the foot of the Mont Cronion. At the place of the site was the Altis, a crowned wood. The stage itself was hidden with the right in the middle of a wood of wild olive-trees. The Autel of Zeus was also on this site. It is the traditional site to light the Olympic flame a few months before the opening ceremony of each Olympic Games of winter like summer.

History

The site seems to have been occupied in a continuous way since the beginning of the OJ Olympie was a sanctuary, and not a city, only inhabited by the personnel of the temples and the priests of the worship. It sheltered a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus, under the aegis of which were held of the Jeux, every four years starting from 776 front J. - C., date of peace between Lycurgue, king and legislator of Sparte, and the king Iphitos of Pisa, in Élide.

In the beginning, the sanctuary of Olympie depended on the city of the Pisa, most important of the Triphylie, one of the areas of the Arcadie. Then Arcadiens were driven out at the beginning of sixth century BC by the Élée NS, which, according to the legend, came from central Greece. Eléens failed to lose in their Olympie turn at the end of with the profile of the first occupants and they had finally to give the control of the contests to Arcadiens in 364 av. J. - C. After bloody fights in the sanctuary even, they took again the control of the sanctuary and the contests, which they preserved without discontinuity until the last celebration of the Plays in 393 a. J. - C. Héraklès and Pélops is two large characters who intervened in the foundation of the city and the Olympic Games.

Monuments

The colossal temple (64,2 m length, 24,6 m broad) of Olympian Zeus, is made of marble and is of doric style. It was set up between -470 and -456. The temple lived several catastrophes, in particular a fire towards -426, and an earthquake one century later which destroyed it and hides it in sand.

This temple is an architectural wonder, builds thanks to the spoils brought back following the victory against Pisa. In the beginning, the town of Olympie was not a city but a sanctuary which was created by Pelops and Héraclès created the plays there (Olympic thus). The sanctuary was attached to the town of Pisa. When it was detached some, it became a city and taken for protective God Zeus (like Athéna for Athens). The two pediments of the temple shelter mythological scenes carved in sculpture in the round in the marble. Greatest (in the center) measurement 3,15 meters. One can also note that some of these statues were hollow to reduce their weight. The pediment represented the race of tanks between Pelops and Oenomaos. The Western pediment represented the battle of Lapithes against the Centaurs, which develops the set of themes of resistance divine (and heroic) to a control of animals. Of course, the exactitude of the identity of the characters on the pediments is not confirmed.

One will also observe the presence of twelve métopes located at the higher ends of the interior porches. These métopes represented twelve work of Héraclès (wire of Zeus and founder of the Olympic Games).

It will be noted that the scenes represented in the temple are those of the origin of the sanctuary and the town of Olympie.

The temple of Zeus sheltered one of old the seven wonders of the world, the statue chryséléphantine (of gold and ivory) of Zeus, abundantly described by Pausanias. This statue was carved by the workshop of Phidias of 440 with 430 av. J. - C. approximately. It was 12,75 meters high; the body was made of ivory, the hair, the beard, the sandals, and drapery, out of gold. The throne was of ebony and ivory. By veneration for the sculptor, the workshop was preserved until the 5th century after J. - C. the temple was, as for him, of style doric Périptère (6x13 columns), built with limestone to cockle local and covered with white stucco. Only the roof and some decorations were out of marble.

The temple of Zeus is due to the Architecte éléen Libon (Libo).

Exploration of the site

The archeological site is found at the 18th century by a French traveller named Montfaucon but the excavations really begin in 1829 with the Expédition of Morée. It is true that the majority of the buildings were covered with a thick layer of sediments due to the many overflows of the rivers Alphée and Kladée. Moreover earthquakes, and in particular those of 522 and 551, had contributed to the destruction of a great number of buildings.

More important excavations start in 1875, financed by the German government, which had obtained exclusiveness, and carried out by Ernst Curtius.

Communes

• Ancient Rammed (Miraka)
• International Olympic Académie (pop: 63)
• Aspra Spitia
• Ypsilo
• Chelidonio
• Floka
• Irakleia
• Kafkonia
• Kamena
• Nea Kamena
• Vasilaki
• Kladeos
• Koskina
• Fanara
• Kryonero
• Linaria
• Louvro
• Gyros
• Mageira
• Mouria
• Pefko
• Pelopio
• Ampari
• Platanos
• Agios Georgios (pop: 7)
• Pournario
• Spalled
• Karoutes
• Strefi
• Kato Strefi (Flokeika)
• Xirokampos

Ceremony of the Olympic flame

In front of the ruins of the temple of Héra, actresses play the part of priestess and proceed to the lighting of the flame. The choreography and the costumes of appearing take as a starting point the Antiquity. The ignition system corresponds to an already known process of old: the use of the Sun and a concave container (a parabolic mirror), the rays of the Sun, considered in the center of the container release an intense heat which allows obtaining a flame. The Olympic flame can be lit only this way.

Others

In 2004, the tests of shot put of the Olympic Games of Athens proceeded in Olympie.

In August 2007, violent ones fires failed to destroy the historic site of Olympie.

Historical population

See too