The Olympic games in Ancient Greece were held at Olympia in Elis (in southern Greece on the western shore of the Peloponnesus peninsula). Though there is disagreement, historians accept the traditional start date for the Olympic games as 776 bce. The games were held every four years until finally abolished by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in either 393 or 394 ce. Entrance into the "stadium" of the ancient olympics. These photos just below are of the ruins at the Olympia sanctuary and temple complex. Remains of the temple of Zeus. In the ancient world, Olympia was famed for its gigantic ivory and gold statue of Zeus, sculpted by Pheidias. The statue was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This is the restored stadium used in the 1896 olympics in Greece. Street scene in present-day Olympia. |
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