Olympia, Greece

The Start Of Something Big

by Chris Millikan

Almost daily, Carnival Freedom drops us at alluring Mediterranean ports steeped in times past.  Docking at Katakolon, Greece is no different… This comfortable transport now allows us to explore the Peloponnesian Peninsula’s isolated southern point and a very notable ancient site.

Sleepy Katakolon is a seaside town of 600 residents overlooking the Ionian Sea. Her crystal blue-green water tempt, begging my hubby and I to dilly-dally along white sand beaches…but Olympia awaits. Nowadays, travelers like us flock there…almost like the ancient Greeks did every four years for more than a millennium.

Setting the scene for our own pilgrimage, we browse in the Archaeological Museum, a marvelous treasury of archaic sculptures and friezes from the site, including the renowned barefoot goddess Nike: ‘Winged Victory.’  

With fellow Olympic wannabees, we gather around Astra who guides us through the   site, explaining, “In antiquity, Olympia wasn’t a town, but the sacred Sanctuary of Zeus…which doubled as the location for the first Olympic competitions.”

Shaded by spreading dusty-green olive trees and Judas trees bursting with delicate pink blossoms, this momentous spot is lush and luxuriant. Astra continues, “As a deified shrine of elaborate temples, priests' dwellings and public buildings, Olympia enclosed many Greek art treasures: monuments, altars, theaters, statues and offerings of brass and marble. Though excavated during the mid-19th-century, it was never plundered.”

Dedicated to Zeus and open to male Greeks only, the first official games were held in 776 BC. During this five-day contest, enemy city-states were bound by a hallowed truce; peace reigned. Instead of war, athletes battled in sport instead: wrestling; chariot and horse racing; pentathlon, (wrestling, discus, javelin, long jump and running)…and pancratium, a fierce form of boxing. At that time, crowns of wild olive branches immortalized victors, families and cities for decades…unlike today, where winners expect lucrative endorsements…

During the athletic festival, writers, poets and historians also read their works to large audiences while leaders resolved differences through discussion…and merchants profited greatly.   “Maybe our modern Olympics are similar after all,” I chuckle.

Though little remains of her magnificent buildings, marble ruins over 2000-years-old inspire awe. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Zeus had been the most celebrated. A gargantuan ivory-and-gold statue of Zeus sat upon an ebony-and-ivory throne…atop a pedestal 20 meters high. The massive workshop where Athenian sculptor Pheidias built this masterpiece still stands, identified by discovery of his tools and molds.   

The Heraeum dedicated to Hera, wife of Zeus, was positioned next door. The sought-after garlands prepared for victors were placed on a marble table in this temple; a fire burned   throughout the celebrations, reminiscent of the theft of fire from the gods by Prometheus.

This iconic Olympic flame has been a part of the modern games since 1928. Dressed as priestesses, eleven women kindle the torch at Hera’s temple, the sun’s rays concentrated by parabolic mirrors.  And since 2004, the lit torch has been relayed throughout the world, burning in the host city until closing ceremonies conclude events.

The old Olympic stadium sparked our excitement. Here, the start and finish lines of the original sprint track and judges' seats survive. Ragged lines of proper athletic types and puffing others like my hubby time themselves across the 120-meter distance. The rest of us clap and hoot. Then, the stadium seated up to 45,000 wildly cheering spectators rooting for participants at the peak of physical prowess, bodies sleek with oils. Fortunately for us, nobody mimics the nude athleticism of ancient Olympia…

Nowadays, expense and controversy seriously obscure the historic spirit of the Olympic games. But after daytripping to where it all began, we see that much existing in modern games is rooted in the glorious days of antiquity, centuries ago at Olympia.

 When You Go

If you’d like to fly, the nearest airport is at Kalamata, where the remaining 100 kilometres to  ancient Olympia may be completed by rail or road.

If you’d like to cruise into this and a number of Mediterranean adventures, Carnival Cruise Ship Freedom’s complete itinerary is at: www.carnival.com