Katakolon

Today we were in Katakolon, pronounced Katakolo by the locals.   Very hot and humid. We took a bus to Olympia the ancient city of the original Olympic Games.  Olympia is 41km and 50 minutes from Katakolon.

Some history:

"The area of Olympia was already inhabited in the beginning of the 2nd Millennium BC, if not earlier. There was a cult here before Zeus, probably to Gaea .

Tradition holds that the first Olympic Games were held in 776BC, but they might actually have started way before then. The games were a peace treaty between Sparta and Elis, and it was soon decided that all Greek states could take part in them as long as they respected the sacred truce that must be held during the games. This period of peace was for a month at first, but because so many states took part and people from all over came to watch, it was extended to three months, always during summer.

Because the sacred truce gave the kings and leaders from all over Greece a chance to meet unarmed, Olympia became an important place for political discussions and trade. It also enhanced the feeling of unity amongst the Greeks, along with the language and religion.

Olympia was to be renovated many times, and new buildings were added through the ages. Famous people came here to watch the games, such and Plato and Aristotle, and before them, in the 6th century BC, Thales of Miletus  had died here of a heat stroke. Gelon and Hieron of Syracusae were to compete in the games, and so was Alcibiades, Alexander the Great and Nero.

Slaves and women, especially married ones, were strictly forbidden to watch the games, and if a woman was caught as a spectator, she was immediately thrown off Mt.Typaeon.  Women could compete though, and besides that, the Heraia were also held here; foot races for young maids in the area.

If an athlete was caught cheating, perhaps through bribing or poisoning, he was forced to finance a statue of Zeus where his and his family's name would be put and what he had done. Then the statue was put near the entrance of the stadium, so that the athletes would see them before the games started as a reminder of what could happen.

In the 6th century earthquakes destroyed the buildings in Olympia, and it was filled with *mud from the flooded rivers Kladeos and Alfeos. Landslides from Mt. Kronion finally covered up the whole area.

The sanctuary was discovered in 1776, and in 1829 French archaeologists started excavating the site. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Berlin in 1936. The irony of it all is that the ancient games would stop the wars, but the modern ones have been stopped by wars on a few occasions."

We caught our bus from here

*Excavating the mud to find the ruins

We wandered around what was the town of Olympia in absolute amazement at what it must have been like so many thousands of years ago before it was destroyed in an earthquake followed by floods.

Marble columns left just as they were

I cannot remember exactly what each of the next two photos were but there were ruins lying everywhere.

This is where the temple of Zeus was situated. What a magnificent structure it must have been!  One column has been reconstructed.  The statue of Zeus is now in the museum.  One day in Olympia is really not enough time to see everything.

The workshop where the statue of Zeus was built

It was cordoned off so we couldn't see inside but I managed to stretch in and take this photo with my iPhone - we always have to try to see inside places so we make a plan!

Inside the Workshop

 

This is where the Olympic Torch is lit before the Games every 4 years.  It was lit in a ceremony here 12 days ago for the Winter Olympics.

The track where the events took place - men only as they took part in the nude. If women were caught watching it was punishable by death sentence!  The stone structure half way down on the right of the photo is where the judges sat.

The starting blocks

Obviously everyone likes to run on the track where the original olympic games took place and these two youngsters were no different!

 

Shew, that was quite a race!!!

What an interesting day this has been.  We climbed back onto our bus and returned to Katakolon before returning to the ship.

Shopping area

Do they look pleased with their purchases?

Another quick wifi stop

Tomorrow we head into Corfu.