From: yiannis@WAM.UMD.EDU (IOANNIS VELISSARAKOS  ATHINA-HELLAS)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: GREECE -- OLYMPIA -- HISTORY OF OLYMPIC GAMES.
Date: 31 Jul 92 01:07:55 GMT



	On July 25th, the official ceremony of the opening of the XXV
Olympiad took place in Barcelona, Spain.
	Four years before the celebration of the 100 years of the 
modern Olympic Games and five days after the opening of this years'
Olympics, many people in different newsgroups still don't know much
about the Olympic Games. Even, here in the USA, the American TV, and
specifically NBC, makes lots of mistakes on issues concerning the 
Olympics. Two nights ago, a commentator of NBC in Barcelona said
that: "...the Olympic Flame lights up every four years on the Mount
Olympus near to Athens, Greece..."  (!!!!)
	Therefore, I decided to write something about Olympia -THE PLACE
WHERE THE OLYMPIC GAMES WERE BORN- the history of Olympic Games, places
someone can visit in Olympia, places to rest, and where to get more
information about Olympia and broadly GREECE.



				Yiannis Velissarakos
				yiannis@wam.umd.edu
				U. Of Maryland At College Park

------
	The coast of the western Peloponnese and the area extending 
from Patras to the Sanctuary of Olympia are among nature's most favoured
spots. Quaint clusters of small towns on either side of the main road
link PATRAS, the capital of the Peloponnese and third largest city of 
Greece, to ancient OLYMPIA. Scores of bays and sandy beaches deck the
coastline. Those in search of peace and quiet may choose the more 
isolated natural coves, while those looking for a holiday in a pleasant
environment will opt for the comfortable "organized" beaches. Several
such beaches -KATAKOLO and AGIOS ANDREAS west of PIRGOS and KOUROUTA
and KYLLINI (Killini) to the north- offer the traveller all the modern 
amenities in marvellous natural setting.
	The entire area is strewn with the ruins of ancient cities,
Byzantine churches and mediaeval castles, all of them of great archeolo-
gical and historical interest. The rivers Alpheus (Alfios) and Peneus
(Pinios) and their tributaries add to the unique poetry of the area. From
Pirgos the road forks eastwards through the fertile valley of Ellis, one
of the ancient cities of Peloponnese. In the middle of this valley, where
the rivers Alfios and Kladeos flow as if on a carpet of sand, at the foot
of the pine covered Kronion where all is harmonious and peaceful, there
developed one of the most important sanctuaries of the ancient world. For,
here human strength was worshipped as nowhere else in the world, and
some of the most beautiful myths and legends were born; rivers falling in
love with nymphs, gods marrying nymphs, Alfios and Arethousa, Apollo and
Daphne; and the story of Hippodamea whose love for Pelops caused her 
father's death which in turn brought down the wrath of the gods on Pelops
and on the house of Atreus, his descendants.
	Olympia, as this corner of ancient Pisa became known, was dedicated
to Zeus. It included, however, a tremendous variety of structures not 
directly connected with the worship of the god: temples, treasuries, altars,
statues of gods and Olympic victors, etc. In 579 B.C. Ellis succeeded the   
town of Pisa as protector and sponsor of Olympia. The games, instituted as
a sort of continuation of the religious rituals, made Olympia the centre
of the Hellenic world. For, thanks to the sacred truce, all disputes 
among the various city-states were forgotten and Hellenism was made aware 
of its unity. And as Olympia developed into a nationalistic centre of 
Hellenism, the area became filled with multiracial masterpieces of Greek
art. The Sanctuary was showered with offerings of the faithful and became
a real world centre where every Greek race could identify the references
and roots of its history. Olympia lived for over ten centuries, from the
Heroic period up to 393 A.D., the year of the last Olympic Games of 
antiquity. 
	

	   THE HISTORY OF OLYMPIA AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES 


	The history of the Sanctuary of Olympia is linked with that of the
barbarian invasions of Elis. For several centuries the peoples who came 
down to Altis brought along their gods and left their mark in the ever-        
changing pattern of mythology.
	Towards the turn of the second millennium B.C., the Eleans coming
down from from the north settled in the area near Olympia, then controlled
by the town of Pisa. Around the 6th century B.C. the disputes between the two
peoples broke out in warfare.
	The new immigrants were probably the first to dedicate the site to
Zeus, giving it the name of Olympia as a tribute to their mountain in Thessaly.
The first feasts held in Olympia, were not, however, in honour of Zeus but
of Pelops, after whom, of course, the Peloponnese was named. Pelops won  
these distinctions after defeating Pisa's king Oenomaos in a chariot race and
marrying his daughter, Hippodamea.
	Here, as at Delphi, a female deity-possibly Rea along with Cronus-
seems to have been worshipped long before Zeus in the first millenium B.C. By
the classical era, however, Zeus had became absolute master of the Sanctuary
and, according to legend, Hercules planted trees all round Altis to indicate
the boundaries of his father's domain.
	The famous games, along with other feasts, where held in honour of
Zeus who, as legend has it, had been their founding father. And fittingly
enough, the first contest had been between gods and heroes. According to 
historical records the first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C. In 676 B.C.
the games acquired panhellenic significance and by 576 B.C. the prestige and
glory surrounding the institution had reached their peak. The games used to
be held every four year, from June to September, when the moon was at its
fullest. Pindar associates their origin with the burial rites performed on 
the grave of Pelops.
	Special messengers would set off in every direction to announce the 
beginning of the sacred truce and the suspension of all disputes and 
warfare among the city-states.
	The largest cities were represented by official ambassadors to 
Olympia, the "theoroi". The contests lasted five days, from the 12th to the
16th of each month, and included foot racing, wrestling, the pancratium, the
pentathlon, as well as chariot racing, horse racing and, finally, artistic
and literary competitions.
	The names of the victors in every sector were recorded alongside the
date of each Olympian Game. 
	For a thousand years the games were held at regular intervals of four
years they were discontinued shortly after the Roman conquest of Greece. The 
institution was revived in 1896 by Baron de Coubertin and except for the two 
World War periods, the games have been held consistently every four years in
one of the world cities with athletes from every nation participating.
	The Olympic Idea -that the aesthetics of the body go hand in with 
intellectual fulfilment- has captivated the entire world, which explains 
why the sacred flame that burns at Altis day and night has never been allowed
to go out. Tradition and imagination enabled the games to go on well after
Olympia had lost its glory. When the Romans descended upon Greece in the second
century B.C. the decline of the Sanctuary had already begun, although later on
the Caesars, Hadrian and Herod Atticus did succeed in bringing back some of its
glamour and filled with a number of monuments and statues.
	The advent of Cristianity inspired radical, social and religious 
reforms and soon the pagan monuments at Olympia were being used to build a 
castle. Still, the games continued until 393 A.D. when Theodosius I banned them
by decree. In 426 A.D. Theodosius II ordered the total destruction of the 
Sanctuary's temples. 
	In the sixth century earthquakes completed the ravages of time and man
but the river Alfios seems to have saved the situation, to a certain extent
at least; for, its successive floods gradually buried what was left of the 
sacred land and preserved the entire area under sands until 1875 when 
archaeologists brought it back to life and re-discovered Olympia.


			ALTIS SANCTUARY

   
	Although all we can now see at Altis is ruins, the visitor can easily
imagine the beauty and majesty of the buildings that used to stand on this
site. Outstanding among them was the TEMPLE OF ZEUS. Built in the mid of the
5th century B.C. by Livon, its elegance impresses the visitor even now. Of the 
ivory and gold statue of Zeus by Phidias, the philosopher Dion had said that
one had but to look at it to forget all his troubles. Another very impressive
building at Altis is HERA'S TEMPLE which dates much earlier than her husband's 
and served as a perfect setting for Praxiteles' Hermes, found standing among
the columns of the Temple.
	The sacred grove also encompassed the PRYTANEION, magistrates'       
residence, and the PHILIPPEION, a kind of circular treasury offered by Philip
of MACEDONIA after his victory at the battle of Chaeronia in 338 B.C. At the 
foot of the Kronion were the TREASURIES small buildings erected as offerings
by the city-states; the ruins of twelve Treasuries were found, all of them in 
the Doric style. East of the Treasuries is the famous STADIUM, the largest
of its kind, seating 30,000, and to the west stood the GYMNASIUM. No traces
were found of the HIPPODROME. Just outside the Sanctuary precincts were the
BOULEUTEREION, the house of Nero, and the LEONIDAION, the largest building
in Olympia during the 4th century B.C., which served as a sort of hostel. A
Byzantine church was built on the site where Phidias' workshop was found.


		        THE MUSEUMS OF OLYMPIA 


Archaeological Museums (tel. 0624/22.529, 22.742, 22.517)
	The finds unearthed during excavations are exhibited at the two 
Archaeological Museums of Olympia. The two pediments of the Temple of 
Zeus are among the most brilliant examples of ancient Greek sculpture. The
eastern pediment commemorates the chariot race between Pelops and Oenomaos
with Zeus standing in the middle, while the even more beautiful western
pediment depicts the favourite theme of the fight between the Centaurs
and Lapiths with the exquisite figure of Apollo in the middle. The metopes
of the Temple representing Hercules' labours, the statue of Victory by
Paeonios as she comes flying down from the skies, Zeus and Ganymedes, a tile
from a temple of the Sanctuary, a head of Hera, and finally the Hermes of
Praxiteles standing in a room all by itself, are of the masterpieces which
used to adorn the site of Olympia. Items offered to Zeus by the city-states
in gratitude for their victories include bronze ex votos, tripods and vessels,
panoplies, helmets and shields.

Museum of Olympic Games
	Today, an International Olympic Academy and a Museum of Olympic Games
function at Olympia. The Museum exhibits material and literature covering the
games until 1906 as well as a related stamp collection.


			  USEFUL INFORMATION


   	How to reach Olympia: A) by car -- along the coast of Ahaia or from 
Tripolis in the central Peloponnese. Both of the drives are very interesting,
so one may try the 334 kms coast route via Patras and Pirgos one way, returning
via Tripolis or vice versa.
			      B) by train -- (Athens-Patras-Pirgos-Olympia).  
Information: Trains, 1-3, Karolou Str., Athens. Tel.: 522.2491, 524.0646/8
	               6, G. Sina Str., Athens. Tel.: 362.4402/6.
	     Buses,  1-3, Karolou Str., Athens. Tel.: 522.2491, 524.0646/8
		     100, Kifisou Str., Athens. Tel.: 513.4110


			GENDARMERIE TOURIST POLICE STATIONS

	
Ancient Olympia: 13, Douma Str., Tel.: 0624/22.550



HOTELS
------
Class    Name And Place             Tel.          Rooms        Beds
--------------------------------------------------------------------
	 OLYMPIA 		    (0624)
A 	 Amalia			    22.190	  147	       272
A 	 Antonios		    22.348/9	   65          123
A 	 Spap			    22.514	   51	        97
B	 Apollon		    22.522	   86	       168
B	 Leonidaion (Pension)	    22.560	    7 	   	14
B 	 Neda			    22.563	   43		75
B 	 Olympia		    22.506	   31		59
B 	 Olympic Village Hotel      22.811/2       51           97
B 	 Xenia			    22.510	   36	  	72
B	 Xenios Zeus (Motel)	    22.551/3       36		72
C	 Achillefs (Pension)	    22.562	    7		15
C	 Artemis		    22.255	   16		28
C	 Fidias			    22.667	    9		17
C 	 Ilis			    22.547	   57	       102
C	 Kronion		    22.502	   23		41
C	 Olympic Torch		    22.668	   18		32
C 	 Possidon (Pension)	    22.567	   10		20


	--Hotel List does not include the lower priced D and E class hotels,
	  to be found in most places. For hotel reservation apply to the 
 	  Hellenic Chamber of Hotels: 6, Aristidou Str., Athens,      
	  						 Tel.: 323.6962


			CONDUCTED TOURS


	Three-day, four-day, six-day and nine-day tours are organized by
	many travel agencies including a visit to the area of Olympia.


      GREEK NATIONAL TOURIST ORGANIZATION (G.N.T.O.) OFFICES ABROAD:


 AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND: Greek National Tourist Organization, 51-57,
Pitt Str., Sydney, N.S.W. 2000, Tel.: 2411.663/4, Telex: 25.209.
 AUSTRIA: Griechische Zentrale fur Fremdenverkehr, Karntner Ring 5, 1015,
Wien, Tel.: 525.317/8, Telex: 111.816. 
 BELGIUM: Office National Hellenique du Tourisme, 62-66, Bld. de l'
Imperatrice, 1000, Bruxelles, Tel.: 5130.206, 5132.712, Telex: 24.044.
 CANADA: a) Greek National Tourist Organization, 1233 rue de la Montagne, 
Montreal, QC, Quebec H3G 1Z2, Tel.: 8711.535, Telex: 60.021,
         b) Greek National Tourist Organization, 80 Bloor Str. West, Suite
1403, Toronto ONT, M5S 2V1, Tel.: 9682.220, Telex: 18845.
 DENMARK: Det Graeske Turistbureau, Vester Farimagsgade 3, DK 1606,
Kopenhagen, Tel.: 1-123.063.
 FINLAND: Kreikan Valtion Matkailutoimisto, Stora Robertsgaten 3-5 C 38,
00120 Helsingfors 12, Tel.: 0-655.223, 653.480.
 FRANCE: Office National Hellenique du Tourisme, 3, Avenue de l' Opera,
Paris 75001, Tel.: 2964.955, 2606.575. Telex: 680.345.
 GERMANY: a) Griechische Zentrale fur Fremdenverkehr, Neue Mainzerstr. 22,
6 Frankfurt/Main 1, Tel.: 236.562/3 Telex: 412.034,
 	  b) Griechische Zentrale fur Fremdenverkehr, Pacellistr. 2, 8000
Munchen 2, Tel.: 222.035/6, Telex: 528.126,
	  c) Griechische Zentrale fur Fremdenverkehr, Neuer Wall 35, 2000
Hamburg 36, Tel.: 366.910, 366.973.
 ITALY: a) Ente Nationale Ellenico per il Turismo, Via L. Bissolati 78-80,
00187, Roma, Tel.: 4744.249, 4744.301, Telex: 611.331,
	b) Ente Nationale Ellenico per il Turismo, Piazza Diaz 1, Ang. Via
Rastrelli, Milano, Tel.: 860.470, 860.477, Telex: 313.685.
 JAPAN: Greek National Tourist Organization, 3-16-30 Nishi Azabu, Minato-Ku,
Tokyo 106, Tel.: 403.1811/2, Telex: 242.7247.
 NETHERLANDS: Griekse Nationale Organizatie Voor Toerisme, Leidsestraat 13,
NS Amsterdam, Tel.: 254.212/3/4, Telex: 44/154.65.
 NORWAY: Den Greske Stats Turistbyra, vre Slottsgaten 15B, Oslo 1, Tel.:
426.501/2, Telex: 740.25.
 SAUDI ARABIA: Embassy of Greece, Madina Road, City Centre, P.O. Box 13262,
29493, Jeddah, Tel.: 6676.240, Telex: 405515.
 SPAIN: Oficina Nacional Helenica de Turismo. Torre de Madrid, Princesa 1,
PI, 28, Ofic. 1, Madrid.8, Tel.: 2484.889/90, Telex: 457.96.
 SWEDEN: Grekiska Statens Turistbyra, Grev Turegatan 2, Box 5298, 10246
Stockholm 5, Tel.: 211.113, 203.802, Telex: 104.43.
 SWITZERLAND: Griechische Zentrale fur Fremdenverkehr, Gottfired Kellerstr.
7, CH 8001 Zurich, Tel.: 2518.487/8/9, Telex: 577.20.
 UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND: Greek National Tourist Organization, 195-197,
Regent Str., London W1R 8DL, Tel.: 7345.997, Telex: 21.122.
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: a) Greek National Tourist Organization, 645, Fifth
Avenue, Olympic Tower, New York, N.Y. 10022, Tel.: 4215.777, Telex: 66.489,
 		    	   b) Greek National Tourist Organization, 611, West
Sixth Str., Los Angeles, California 90017, Tel.: 6266.696, Telex: 686.411,
			   c) Greek National Tourist Organization, 168, North
Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 606.01, Tel.: 7821.084, Telex: 283.468,
			   d) Greek National Tourist Organization, Building
31, State Street, Boston, Mass. 02109, Tel.: 2277.366.



----
  By the Greek National Tourist Organization - Publications Dept.