Olympia : The Site, the Museums and the Olympic Games

This book is an introduction to a crucial site of the ancient world, the site where the greatest sporting event of antiquity, the Olympic Games, were born. These Games at Olympia came to shape in large measure the history and the values of the ancient Greek world. The site is one of the most important Panhellenic religious centres of antiquity.

The Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus was founded in the western Peloponnese, in the verdant valley between the Alpheios River and its tributary the Kladeos. As one of the most important Panhellenic religious centres of antiquity, its radiance illuminated ancient Greece for more than a thousand years. This book is an introduction to this important site of the ancient world, a site where the greatest sporting event of antiquity, the Olympic Games, were born. Thanks to the high values and ideals of Olympism, these Games came to shape in large measure the history and the values of the ancient Greek world. The archaeological site and the Archaeological Museum of Olympia are presented here, and the exhibited works are considered in relation to the site, thus offering a complete picture of the Sanctuary. Also presented is the history of the Olympic Games and the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity, providing valuable information about the exceptional works of art housed in its rooms. The visitor is made aware of the mythological and historical background that formed the ideological framework of the Olympic Games. Included in the book are brief illustrated accounts on the most recent discoveries resulting from excavations by the Archaeological Service in the last 15 years. These recent excavations have essentially changed the understanding of the topography of the Sanctuary, contributing to the revision of the boundaries of the archaeological site.