Olympia is situated on a grassy plain on the north bank of the river Alpheios and in the territory of Elis. Just to the north is the hill Kronos which is named after the father of Zeus.

The sanctuary grew with all sorts of offerings: statues of men, women and animals made from terracotta to marble, altars erected, monuments to the god Zeus. It is here where the 13 metre high marble and gold statue of Zeus was erected in honour of the god. This statue was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Unfortunately for us living today, this statue was destroyed by fire in Istanbul.

Due to the nature of the sanctuary, Greeks from all over the Mediterranean would come to worship, sacrifice, compete and conduct diplomatic and personal engagements. Olympia grew into one of the most prominent sanctuaries and also became the religious center for Zeus.

Olympia was also considered the oldest and most prestigious of all the festivals and is known as one of the four sanctuaries in which festivals were held. The others are Delphi, Corinth and Nemea. The four are known collectively as the Panhellic Games. Held every four or two years, they were open to every Greek to enter into competition. A winner at all four sanctuaries was considered similar to a winner in our modern day tennis or golf Grand Slam.

Each festival held some significance to funerary rites. The first recorded being the friend of Achilles, Patroklos recorded in the Iliad. From then on, each festival was held in honour of a fallen or local hero.

Exploring the World of the Ancient Greeks -- John Camp,Elizabeth Fisher
The Ancient Olympic Games -- Judith Swaddling
Greece: Land of Light -- Nicholas Gage,Barry Brukoff

• Find souvenirs for your home, courtesy of Tobius Tullius
• Try Helen's Olympic Find-A-Word Puzzle!
• Take a tour of Olympia. (Note: the tour requires Apple's Quicktime)