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Temple Ruins, Olympia
The classic remains of the Ancient Greek Temple of Zeus (470-457 BCE) sit in the dappled light of wild olive-trees that have grown here since time immemorial.
Every square inch of Greece has a story to tell.
History imbues the ancient structures and the fallen stones. Even without an education in what was called in the West “The Classics”, the names were all familiar to me from childhood, and I recognised many of the stories. At Olympia, I saw Hera’s alter, where the maidens lit the very first Olympic flame in 776 BCE. Tributes and temples to Zeus and Apollo are everywhere.
Some of the stories are less well-known.
As just one at-first seemingly bizarre example: a statue of Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), Spanish author of the well-known literary classic Don Quixote (1605, 1615), stands on the medieval walls of the old Venetian harbour of Nafpaktos, a Greek town on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth.
Sitting at the entrance to the Corinthian gulf, Nafpaktos and its earlier iterations have always been critically important for mounting defence and collecting taxes. During the Crusades and the Ottoman–Venetian wars, the port changed hands many times. From 1499, the town was part of the Ottoman Empire, and in the 16th century it was used as a naval station by the Ottoman Navy.
This made Europe nervous, so Pope Pius V (1504-1572) formed the Holy League. Naval forces from the Christian European nations launched a naval battle against the Ottoman Empire, winning a decisive victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
A 23-year-old Cervantes was aboard one of those ships. He received three gunshot wounds: one of which caused him to lose the use of his left arm. Thus, Ottoman expansion across the Mediterranean was halted, and Cervantes was dealt his future as a writer not a fighter.
I was travelling on a small group tour. We left Delphi early morning (see: The Sanctuary of Apollo), stopping briefly to admire the beautiful Venetian battlements on Nafpaktos Harbour. We then traversed the elegant Rion Antirion Bridge across the Gulf of Corinth to the fabled Peloponnese Peninsula, where we visited the UNESCO-listed Archaeological Site of Olympia, home of the original Olympic Games.
Come for a tour:
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The Venetian Port
The little town of Nafpaktos sits on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth in Western Greece. It boasts a Venetian castle and these well-preserved harbour walls.
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Miguel de Cervantes
The sculpture here, by Mallorcan sculptor Jaume Mir (1915-2012) shows Cervantes holding up his right arm. His paralyzed left arm hangs by his side. The inscription reads: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), a Spanish soldier, a genius of letters, honor of humanity, wounded heroically at the naval battle of Nafpaktos.
Venetian Harbour
The morning sun rises over ancient fortifications and modern coffee shops.
Giorgos (Georgios) Anemogiannis (1796-1821) and the Flag
Another statue nearby, this one by Nikola Pavlopoulos and erected in 1966, pays tribute to a hero of the Greek Independence War of 1821.
Venetian Harbour – Nafpaktos
The Rion Antirion Bridge
Before long, we are back on the road, and about to cross the Rion Antirion Bridge over the Gulf of Corinth. Officially called the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, the 2380-metre-long (7810 ft; 1.48 mi) structure was completed in 2004. It is the longest fully suspended cable-stayed bridge in the world. (iPhone12Pro)
Another Day – Another Museum
It seems every archaeological site has its own museum. Fortunately, all the ones I visited were marvelous, and our guide in the Museum of Olympia was delightful – and very funny.
Bronze Miniatures – 6C BCE
The age of some of the artefacts attesting to past civilisations is just staggering!
Bull’s Head
Bulls are a common theme across Greece; this Neo-Hittite head apparently dates to the 8th century BCE.
West Pediment Temple of Zeus (472-456 BCE)
Painstakingly excavated and put back together, the marble pieces here show the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs in Thessaly.
The Apollon of Olympia (ca. 460 BCE)
Considered one of the most important statues in the Severe style or early Classical style, the god Apollo indicates his favour towards the humans (the legendary Lapiths) by facing in their direction.
Photograph of a Statue Zeus
The temple once housed a magnificent chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Zeus which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The statue was lost and destroyed before the end of the 6th century CE, and reconstructions are based on descriptions and depictions on metal coins. (iPhone12Pro)
Hermes of Olympia (330 BCE)
Discovered in 1877 in the ruins of the Temple of Hera at Olympia, this stunning marble statue of Hermes with the infant Dionysus is traditionally attributed to the renowned sculptor Praxiteles.
Marble Statue of Hermes with the Infant Dionysus
The Botanical Garden of Olympia
Leaving the museum behind, we walk the short distance through a grove of ancient olives and newly replanted lands that extend to the northern foothills of Kronos Hill.
Temple of Hera (590 BCE)
Our first Olympian structure is the partially restored Heraion, which was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th century CE.
Perfect Pillar
The Temple Of Zeus, built in the second quarter of the fifth century BC, was a classic example of Doric style.
Doric Capital
The fluted columns rise up gracefully to a simple capitol.
Inside the Sanctuary of Olympia
The Crypt
This is the arched passageway the athletes came through to the stadium behind me. The stadium itself is not much to look at, but the stone start and finish lines of the sprint track, and the judges’ seats still survive. In its day, the stadium held 45,000 spectators. Public baths, hostels, a wrestling school, and a gymnasion were nearby.
Treasury of Sicyon (470 BCE)
Altar of Hera
Back in the Sanctuary, we stand in front of the altar where the Olympic flame has been lit since 1936, using a parabolic mirror to concentrate the rays of the sun.
Fallen Doric Columns
Flowers on the Judas Tree
The Sanctuary of Zeus has always been known for its olive trees and other greenery; here the Judas trees (Cercis siliquastrum) are starting to bloom.
During the original Olympic Games, the flame at the altar burned continuously, symbolising the fire stolen from the Gods by Prometheus.
Standing on that spot, in the heat of a Grecian sun, it feels like all the intervening years just fall away.
Happy Travels!
Photos: 15September2022
