Description by location in Greece Attika Central Greece Crete Cyclades Dodecanese Epirus Ionian Islands Macedonia N. E. Aegean Islands Peloponnese Thessaly Thrace View Description for Athens Museums Destinations Europe America Africa Asia ALL SPECIAL OFFERS FOR YOUR HOLIDAYS ARE HERE Here you can make your best selections. We suggest and you choose. We wish you'll make the best choice and have the most unforgettable holidays. You are in: HomeGreeceAttikaArhaeological SitesOlympion Olympion According to tradition, the establishment of the sanctuary goes back to the time of mythical Deucalion. The site was inhabited in the prehistoric period and the cult of Zeus is attested in early historic times. In ca. 515 B.C., Peisistratos the Younger, began the construction of a monumental temple which was not finished because of the fall of the tyranny in Athens. Much later, in 174 B.C., Antiochos IV Epiphanes, the king of Syria, attempted to continue the erection of the temple, which was finally completed by the Roman emperor Hadrian, in A.D. 124/125. Inside the temple stood a colossal chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Zeus. The temple was excavated in 1889-86 by E. Penrose, and in 1922 by G. Welter. The Greek Archaeological Society conducted excavations in the area around the temple, between 1886 and 1907, and work was resumed by Ioannes Travlos in the 1960's. Many parts of the circuit wall of the sanctuary have been rebuilt, imitating the ancient masonry. Sections of the ancient wall have been preserved only at the south-east corner and on the north side. The most important monuments of the site are: Temple of Zeus Olympios.It was tripteral octastyle on the two narrow sides, and dipteral eikosastyle on the long sides, that is, it was surrounded by 104 Corinthian columns in total. Inside the building, along the north and south walls, there was an additional Ionic colonnade. The temple was built between A.D. 124 and 132. Temple of Apollo Delphinios. Peripteral Doric temple, dated to 500 B.C. The Court at the Delphinion. Ancient building with a spacious courtyard and rooms along the north side. Dated to ca. 500 B.C. Gates of the city wall of Athens, built by Themistocles in 479/78 B.C. Roman baths, constructed in A.D. 124-132. Temple of Panhellenic Zeus, built in A.D. 131-132. Temple of Cronos and Rhea. Small, dipteral temple dated to A.D. 150. |Home| Select Country --- EUROPE --- Austria Cyprus Czech Republic France Germany Greece Italy Malta Monaco Netherlands Slovak Republic Spain Turkey U.K --- AMERIKA --- Argentina Brazil Mexico Uruguay U.S.A --- AFRICA --- Egypt --- ASIA --- U.A.Emirates   View all Hotels in Attika Olympion Map of Attica 4 your Holidays Tour Greece Car Rental Special Offers Cruises Contact us info@4holidays.gr 4holidays.gr   :::   All Rights Reserved © 2002 - 2008