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Athens (Attica) | Attica | Athens City

Athens Olympieion Archaeological Site

The sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, one of the most important and ancient sanctuaries in Athens, was built, according to tradition, by Deucalion, the first ancestor of the Greeks as a tribute to Zeus for his salvation after the deluge.

 

The Temple of Olympian Zeus in downtown Athens

 

The erection of the large temple was begun by Peisistratos, grandson of the tyrant, in 515 BC, on the site of an earlier archaic temple. Its construction had reached as far as the podium, when it was interrupted by the overthrow of the tyranny in 508 BC. This temple, built of limestone in the Doric style, was huge and modeled on those in Asia Minor. Parts of the building materials were later used for the construction of the eastern side of the Themistoclean fortification wall.

The temple was begun in marble probably in the 4th c. BC, but was never finished. After a long interlude, construction was resumed in 175 BC, financed by Antioch IV Epiphanes, king of Syria, with the Roman architect Cossutius, in Corinthian order. It reached as far as the capitals of the columns. Later it was continued by Augustus and completed by the emperor Hadrian, who also inaugurated it in 131-132 BC.

The temple, one of the largest in the ancient world, had two rows of 20 columns on the sides (dipteron) and three rows of 8 columns at the ends (tripteron). It measured 110,35 m long by 43;68 m wide. It dominated the center of a large rectangular precinct wall which had a propylon on the north. The cella housed the oversized golden and ivory statue of Zeus and the statue of the emperor Hadrian, who were worshipped here as coequals; a great number of statues and votive offerings embellished the precinct.

Deterioration set in during the 5th c. AD and continued during the following centuries due to natural causes and human activities. There was an open-air mosque during the Turkish occupation at the SE corner of the precinct, and on top of the architrave at the SE corner of the temple some structure, perhaps a hermitage or lookout post. Of the original 104 columns of the temple sixteen survived until 1852. In that year one of them was toppled by a terrible storm and has been lying there ever since.

In the same archaeological site, besides the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus the ruins of more sanctuaries are included; they come under the collective name "Ilissian Sanctuaries", as they all were at the banks of Ilissos river. There also exist the ruins of a Roman Valaneion (Public baths) here. Hadrian's Gate is also considered as belonging to this archaeological site, although the very building is outside the site's enclosure. All informative signs, though, are to be found in the site.

Here follows a full list of the antiquities found within this site, numbered as they appear in the informative signs on the spot, shown in the following photos:
1. Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Precinct Wall (124-132 AD)
2. Hadrian's Gate (131-132 AD)
3. Roman Baths (124-131 AD)
4. Remains of Ancient Houses (5th century BC - 2nd centuries AD)
5. Basilica of Olympieion (450 AD)
6. Valerian Wall (256-260 AD)
7. Temple of Apollo Delphinios (450 BC)
8. The Law Court at the Delphinion (500 BC)
9. Temple of Kronos and Rhea (150 AD)
10. Sanctuary of Panhellenios Zeus (131-132 AD)
11, 12, 13. Gates of the Themistoclean Wall (479-478 BC)

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Click on any of the pictures to enlarge.

The Olympieion Archaeological Site

(Photos by Michael Tziotis)


Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Informative sign

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Informative sign
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: 19th century painting

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: 19th century painting
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Sign showing the numbered ruins within the site

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Sign showing the numbered ruins within the site


Please also refer to the following two photos
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Sign showing the numbered ruins within the site

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Sign showing the numbered ruins within the site


Blow-up of the previous photo, upper half.
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Sign showing the numbered ruins within the site

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Sign showing the numbered ruins within the site


Blow-up of the previous photo, bottom half.
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Ancient road, same area with the ancient houses, near the Hadrian's Gate.

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Ancient road, same area with the ancient houses, near the Hadrian's Gate.
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Foundations and ruins of Classical houses, same area as in the previous photo

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Foundations and ruins of Classical houses, same area as in the previous photo
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Foundations and ruins of Classical houses, same area as in the previous photo

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Foundations and ruins of Classical houses, same area as in the previous photo
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Marble horse-head 'suddenly' emerging from the soil near the Roman Baths

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Marble horse-head 'suddenly' emerging from the soil near the Roman Baths
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Ruins of the Roman Baths (Number 3, according to the list)

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Ruins of the Roman Baths (Number 3, according to the list)
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Ruins of the Roman Baths (Number 3, according to the list)

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Ruins of the Roman Baths (Number 3, according to the list)
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Tombstone and tomb (same area)

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Tombstone and tomb (same area)


The tombstone is actually a copy of the one in the National Archaeological Museum
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: View of the temple from exactly where the previous photo was taken

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: View of the temple from exactly where the previous photo was taken


Part of the Ancient Road shown previously is in the foreground.
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: View of the temple from the same direction as in the previous photo, i.e. from the North

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: View of the temple from the same direction as in the previous photo, i.e. from the North
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Short telephoto of part of the temple from the same spot

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Short telephoto of part of the temple from the same spot
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Photo of the archaeological site and the Temple from Hadrian's Gate

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Photo of the archaeological site and the Temple from Hadrian's Gate
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Photo of the archaeological site and the Temple from Hadrian's Gate

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Photo of the archaeological site and the Temple from Hadrian's Gate
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The fallen column from afar

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The fallen column from afar
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Temple as seen from the South-East

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Temple as seen from the South-East
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Temple as seen from the South-East

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Temple as seen from the South-East
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Fallen Column

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Fallen Column
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Capital of the Fallen Column in detail

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Capital of the Fallen Column in detail
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Capital of the Fallen Column in detail

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The Capital of the Fallen Column in detail
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The standing Columns (but the three West ones) from the West

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The standing Columns (but the three West ones) from the West
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The standing Columns from the East

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: The standing Columns from the East
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus


To our photographer, who obviously is in love with "his" antiquities, there shouldn't be a specific reason for him to photograph the Temple; he believes that any photo of the pillars, as they rise to the blue Attic sky, is a snapshot of an eternal sensuous dance that they are performing, one that exclusively he is invited to watch. Please join him to it and share his delight.
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts


On the southern end of the archaeological site, a wide variety of marble parts are gathered and lined up. We have photographed some of them in the photos below.
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts
Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus: Architectural parts

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