Ancient Olympia

Olympia, Greece. The sanctuary of Zeus and the original Olympic site

Overview

In the valley of the Alpheus river in the western Peloponnese stood temples, training halls and a stadium seating about 45,000 on grassy banks. A gold and ivory statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, presided over the site. A sacred truce, the ekecheiria, protected travelers journeying to the festival. Earthquakes and floods buried the ruins, excavated from 1875.