Archaeologists have uncovered many of the venues of the ancient games at Olympia in Greece. While the home of the sacred Olympic flame, the Prytaneion, lies within that Altis, most of the athletic sites of the original Olympic games lie outside the sacred precinct, including the stadium; the hippodrome — location of the equestrian events and the training buildings — the palaestra and gymnasium. 

The Ancient Olympic Stadium

Archaeologists have identified three stages to the development of the stadium at Olympia. It seems that the venue for running and track events was initially within the sacred precinct. However, the stadium was subsequently reconstructed elsewhere until, by its final incarnation, its location was outside the boundaries of the Altis altogether. This may have been because more space was required than was available in the Altis — or because the games’ emphasis gradually shifted from the religious to political. The details of these three stages of development are as follows:

Stage 1. The earliest stadium dated to the Archaic period and provided no seating for spectators. It ran along the northern edge of the Altis, following the lower terraces of the Mound of Kronos, with the finishing line facing the altar of Zeus — emphasising the religious importance of the games at that time. 

Stage 2. Early in the 5th century BC, the stadium was moved slightly to a lower level of the terraces. Embankments were provided for spectators. But by the end of the century, the stadium moved again.

Stage 3. This stadium is visible today, constructed in the late 5th century BC and is entirely outside of the Altis. The stadium measures 192.27m long — 600 Olympic feet, as fixed by the legendary Heracles.

The track is rectangular and was covered in sand over a clay base with stone starting lines that still have the grooves for toe holds. It was surrounded by artificial embankments which could accommodate 40,000 spectators either sitting or standing. The Romans later upgraded the seating, adding stone seats on the natural hillside or over specially built vaulted chambers.

The Hippodrome

Situated to the south of the Altis, the hippodrome was the venue for chariot races. Like the stadium, it went through several phases, achieving its final position in the Classical period.

The hippodrome was elliptical and 780m long — 4 stades. Very little else is known about most of the remains as they were washed away by the floods in the Middle Ages and have not been excavated.

The Gymnasium and Palestra

Archaeologists have also identified where the athletes trained for the games: the gymnasium and the palestra. These buildings adjoined each other but had specific, separate functions:

• The Gymnasium. First built in the 2nd century BC, the Gymnasiums covers an area of 120x220m. Taken from the Greek word for naked, “gymnos” — a reference to the athletes’ unclothed state—the gymnasium at Olympia was open to both professionals and members of the public, much like a modern gym. Athletes trained here for track events, the javelin and discus.

• The Palaestra. Once again, this building took its name from its function — “palaestra”, the Greek word for wrestling. Besides wrestling, the palaestra was also the training venue for boxing and jumping. Dating to the third century BC, the building was a rough square 66.35×66.75m. It included a central exercise yard surrounded by rooms for undressing and anointing the body with oil and then dust — the usual preparation before a wrestling bout. Basic bathing facilities and lecture rooms completed the complex.

 The Prytaneion: The Home of the Olympic Flame

One of the few buildings relating to the games to remain in the sacred precinct was the Prytaneion. The current remains date to the 5th century BC and are situated in the northwest of the Altis. The Prytaneion was the headquarters of the sanctuary officials and used to entertain honoured guests of the games and Olympic victors.

However, the Prytaneion also had another function. No Olympic torch needed to be brought to Olympia to mark the beginning of the games because the Prytaneion contained a special room that housed the sacred hearth of the eternal Olympic flame.

Monuments and Victory Dedication from Ancient Olympia

Finds have been collected and housed in the museum of Olympia, which relate to the games. They fall into two categories: dedications made by the victors and monuments to noble losers. The finds are many and varied and include:

• A large sandstone rock inscribed “Bibon, son of Pholos threw me over his head with one hand” related to one of the victors of the weightlifting. Dating to the Archaic period, it is one of the few pieces of evidence of a popular, non-Olympic sport of the time that would have been practised on the fringe of the games.
• Stone jumping weights from the long jump dedicated by a Spartan victor.
• A gravestone set up in honour of Camillus of Alexandria dating from 3rd century AD. Camillus was a boxer and victor of the Nemean Games. He did not repeat his success at Olympia. Instead, he lost his bout and his life at the age of 35 — a testament to how dangerous the games could be and how, despite their competitive nature, even losers could be honoured.

Resources

Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth (Eds), The Oxford

Classical Dictionary (3rd Ed). Oxford: Oxford University Press

Charles Gates, (2003), Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge: London and New York

Athanasia and Nicolaos Yalouris, (1995), Olympia: Guide to the Museum and the Sanctuary. Athenon s.a: Athens