PeloPonnese
O LY M P I A
PeloPonnese
SIGHTS
PeloPonnese
O LY M P I A
East of the temple is the echo portico,
with a Doric colonnade leading towards the
stadium. Its remarkable acoustics meant that
a sound uttered within was repeated seven
times. Just east of the portico are the remains
of a lavish villa used by Emperor Nero during
his participation in the Games in AD 67; it
replaced the original Sanctuary of Hestia.
The stadium lies to the east of the Altis
and is entered through a stone archway. It’s
rectangular, unlike today’s stadiums, and
the stone start and finish lines of the 120m
sprint track and the judges’ seats still sur-
vive. The stadium could seat at least 45,000
spectators. Slaves and women spectators,however, had to be content to watch from
outside on the Hill of Kronos.
To the north of the Temple of Zeus was
the pelopion, a small, wooded hillock with
an altar to Pelops, the first hero of the Olym-
pic Games. It was surrounded by a wall
containing the remains of its Doric portico.
Many artefacts now displayed in the muse-
um were found on the hillock.
Further north is the 6th-century Doric
Temple of Hera, the site’s most intact struc-
ture. Hera was worshipped along with Rea
until the two were superseded by Zeus. The
Hermes statue was found here.
To the east of this temple is the nymphae-
um (AD 156–60), erected by the wealthy
Roman banker Herodes Atticus. Typical of
buildings financed by Roman benefactors,
it was grandiose, consisting of a semicircu-
lar building with Doric columns flanked at
each side by a circular temple. The building
contained statues of Herodes Atticus and
his family, though Zeus took centre stage.
Despite its elaborate appearance, the nym-
phaeum had a practical purpose; it was a
fountain house supplying Olympia with
fresh spring water.
Just in front of the nymphaeum is the spot
where the altar of Hestia would have main-
tained a continuous fire during the Games,
symbolising the fire stolen from the gods by
Prometheus; fires were also lit in the temples
of Zeus and Hera. Today, the Olympic Flame
is lit where the Temple of Hestia once stood.
Beyond the nymphaeum and up a flight of
stone steps, a row of 12 treasuries stretched
to the stadium, each erected by a city-state
for use as a storehouse for offerings to theHippodromeAltis (Sacred
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Archaeological
D Museum (200m)
Olympia
(500m)
Ancient Olympia
1 Altar of Oaths........................................B2
2 Base of Victory......................................B2
3 Bouleuterion (Council House)............B2
4 East Portico of the Gymnasium..........A 1
5 Echo Portico..........................................B2
6 Emperor Nero's Villa............................C2
7 Entrance.................................................A1
8 Gymnasium...........................................A 1
9 Leonidaion.............................................B2
10 Metroön..................................................B1
11 Nymphaeum..........................................B 1
12 Olympic Flame......................................B1
13 Palaestra (Wrestling School) ..............A 2
14 Pelopion.................................................B2
15 Pheidias' Workshop..............................A 2
16 Philippeion .............................................B1
17 Prytaneum.............................................B1
18 Stadium..................................................C1
19 Temple of Hera......................................B1
20 Temple of Zeus.....................................B2
21 Theokoleon (Priest's House)..............B2
22 Treasuries..............................................B 1