Olympia

History

Olympia is the place where the very first Olympic Games were organized. These Games were held in honour of Zeus, once every four years, as part of a religious festival. They were greatly respected and even had the power to suspend wars for a period of three months.

In the beginning these games had a local character and only Greeks from the area of Olympia could take part. Over time, however, they got a Pan-Hellenic character and Greeks from all over the then known Greek world would travel to Olympia in order to be part of this feast. The highest moral award for an Olympic winner was a wreath made out of the branches of a wild olive tree. Victory symbolized by a wreath meant rather more than sponsors, deals and advertising campaigns. The Olympic winners won immortal fame.

Greece Ancient Olympia

By Virginia Saint-john
In antiquity, when the fame of a sanctuary spread beyond its immediate borders, it was believed that not only the sanctuary, but also its athletic competitions, were founded by gods and heroes and that they were the first to have taken part in the competitions. The beginnings of the Olympic games are lost, deep in the mists of time, but the myths concerning their foundation are many and varied and reflect the religious beliefs of the different peoples who inhabited the area.
One myth names the founder of the games as Heracles Idaeus, who came from Crete with his brothers, the Curetes, and organized a race with a wild olive branch as the prize. Another...

Olympia Greece - A Tour in Antiquity

By Giorgos Kontopoulos
To really get the most from your trip to Olympia, you should join one of the many Olympia Greece tours. Your guide will be able to take you to the most interesting and significant sites, and will be a mine of information about each of the places you visit. As your Olympia Greece tour gets under way, you will find yourself cast back to the days of antiquity, where vengeful gods were idolised and revered.
Your guide will take you to...

Olympia, Greece Travel Guide

By Emma Healey
Located in mainland Greece in the west of the Peloponnese, Olympia is the site of the first Olympic Games which were held in 776 BC. This small town offers accommodation to visitors which allows them to stay less than a mile from the ruins of this world famous site.
The town itself has cafes, tavernas, bars and shops and makes an excellent base for exploring the Peloponnese region. Here you will find unspoilt green countryside with forested hills, rivers and valleys, traditional mountain villages and a beautiful coastline with wonderful sandy beaches.
For history enthusiasts this is the place to be. Highlights of a holiday in Olympia include ...