Olympia, << oh LIHM pee uh, >> is a valley about 11 miles (18 kilometers) from Pirgos, Greece. In ancient times, religion, politics, and athletics centered at Olympia. The Olympic Games, held there every four years, were so important in Greek life that they were used as the basis for the calendar. All the buildings in Olympia were for worship or for games. The religious buildings were clustered in the Altis (sacred grove), which lies where the Cladeus River flows into the Alfios River. They included the temples of Zeus and Hera, the Pelopion, the Philippeion, and the great altars.
The athletic buildings lay just outside the Altis. They included a gymnasium; the palaestra, a wrestling and boxing school; the stadium; and the hippodrome, where chariot and horse races were held.
The Olympic Games were banned in A.D. 393, and a fort was built in the Altis. Later, earthquakes and floods covered Olympia under 20 feet (6 meters) of earth.
In 1829, a French expedition began excavations at the temple of Zeus. The German government continued this work. Between 1875 and 1879 the entire Altis and many of the surrounding buildings were uncovered. Fragments of sculpture, coins, terra cottas, and bronzes have been found. The major discoveries were two statues, the Victory of Paeonius (423 B.C.) and the Hermes of Praxiteles. The originals of all discoveries remained in possession of Greece. The Germans reserved the right to take casts from sculptures, coins, or other discoveries. A museum with Olympian relics is at the modern town of Olympia at the edge of the ruins. The modern town provides hotels and other services to the many tourists who visit the ruins.
