Olympia

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Olympia was our second port of call. The ship stops in Katakolon, where we boarded a bus for the half-hour, very scenic, journey to Olympia.

Olympia is the historic home of the Olympic games. The Olympics were held here every four years, from 776 BC to 393 AD, until emperor Theodosius I abolished the games, as he thought they were a pagan celebration.

The first Olympic stadium was constructed around 560 BC. The Romans were in charge for the period of 150-394 AD. They added Roman baths and an aqueduct.

The site has still not been fully explored. A German archeological team did much of the original digging starting in 1875. In addition to the dig site, there is a museum featuring relics found at the site.

As a direct result of the archeology at Olympia, the Olympic games were restarted, with the first games of the modern era held in Athens in 1896.

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