I am back in Athens, and I am able to upload
some photos, if I can remember where I left
off?! This is Olympia, and we spent the day
here a couple of days ago. Our guide, Helen,
was excellent, and filled us in on the early
Olympics. The photo at the bottom is what is
left of the gymnasium, where the athletes worked
out and practiced.
The trio of columns left standing is part of a
temple, and the Corinthian column on the ground
was near that temple. The large broken pieces are
from the Temple of Zeus that housed the large
statue of the god. It has been toppled by earthquakes,
etc, and they have left the pieces where they fell.
The one section with the square hole in it shows how
the pieces fit together...there would have been a piece
above it with an extension that fit down in that hole,
much like ancient "legos".
The arched entrance is to the stadium, the best preserved
in the world. This is where they would run the races
and do the field competitions, all in the nude. They
covered themselves with olive oil and sand that acted
like a natural sunscreen. That is me, not naked, standing
by the track that went straight down and back, not in
a circle, like ours.
And then that is ancient Greek writing that adorned many
of the ruins there, recording ancient winners and records.
It all gave us a better appreciation for the present day games.
We enjoyed looking at the columns in these pictures today at art camp. Some of the kids recognized the ionic and Corinthian columns.
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