Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Partners for the day: Ben Silverman (text) Caleb Chaplain (images)
Site(s): Ancient Olympia
Museum(s): Olympia Museum
Principal Buildings/Monuments: Heraion, Temple of Zeus, Workshop of Pheidias, Leonidaion, Bouleuterion, Stadium, Treasuries, Nymphaion, Philippieon
Time Spent on Each Site: from ca. 8:30 AM to ca. 3:00 PM [6.5 hours total]
Weather: low 70s, sunny
The group spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon at the site and museum of Olympia. We split up into two teams and analyzed three buildings: the Heraion, the Temple of Zeus and the Workshop of Pheidas. One team presented the notable elements of a building, and afterward the second group pointed out features that the first group overlooked. The activity quickly became competitive, as each group meticulously scanned the building sites with a surgeon’s level of detail for unique features that the other group may have missed. Luckily, after the Workshop of Pheidias, the competition ended with nobody seriously offended. As was the case at Nemea, the group reenacted an ancient race from the stadium starting blocks, and this time even Professor Rutter—barefooted, in fact—took part in the sprint. The group concluded the afternoon at the gorgeous museum, where the pedimental sculpture, the enormous collection of bronze armor and figurines, and Praxiteles’ heralded sculpture of Hermes impressed us all. After finishing the museum trip with some research for the next paper assignment, we returned to the hotel, tired but amazed by ancient Olympia.
Modern Greeks surely take pride in many of the ancient sites in Greece. Ancient temples, theaters, palaces and workshops all stand out as incredible pieces of architecture and culture that define the Greek identity. The Parthenon rises above all other buildings as the most renowned. Yet, I believe that the site of Olympia gives the Greeks a stronger feeling of pride. People from many countries identify with the Olympics, as athletes from their respective countries compete in the events every four years. Since more people relate to the site of Olympia, the site carries value for more people than any other ancient site in Greece. Therefore, because Greeks can say that started such a worldwide institution, they should derive an enormous amount of pride from Olympia.
Like many sites in Greece, Olympia gives Greeks pride in its architectural and sculptural beauty. The site of Olympia is a beautiful site: it spans hundreds of meters, with shady trees surrounding the site and rolling hills rising in the distance. The buildings on the site, from the enormous Temple of Zeus to the multi-leveled Nymphaion contain intricate architecture in a variety of materials. Sculpture from the buildings is housed in the museum, and these pieces of sculpture, including the pediments and metopes from the Temple of Zeus, awe modern audiences. Not many civilizations can claim ownership of such an artistic heritage. Hence, the site, like other Greek sites with impressive architecture and sculpture, gives the Greek nation a sense of pride.
The site of Olympia, however, stands out from all other Greek sites in that the site has relevance for a large international audience. When tourists visit sites, regardless of the country, they see the site as a unique piece of culture that different from their own. In other words, the unfamiliar nature of the sites makes them so interesting to visitors. Rarely can tourists from a large variety of backgrounds claim that a particular site is important to each of their societies. The site of Olympia accomplishes this feat: people from all over the world can come to the site and view it not as a piece of foreign, unknown culture, but they can relate to the site because their countries compete in the modern Olympics. Citizens from any country that partakes in the Olympic games feel this bond to Olympia. Only Greeks, however, can say that they started the institution that involves thousands of countries. Only Greeks can prove that their ancestors in the eighth century B.C. participated in the competition that now captivates the world every four years. Thus, while the Parthenon may have more impressive sculpture or a more attractive building design than any of the buildings at Olympia, the collection of buildings that make up Olympia should give Greeks more pride because more people from more countries relate to and therefore value the site.
Olympia, like other sites in Greece, demonstrates the creativity and artistic excellence of the ancient Greeks. However, Olympia has importance and value for people from countries with vastly different cultures. After hearing six different languages today and seeing people from so many different backgrounds stand in awe of the column drums at the Temple of Zeus or snap pictures of the entrance to the stadium, I now understand why the Greeks should take so much pride in Olympia: at Olympia, the Greeks formed an institution that now affects hundreds of millions of people, thousands of years later.