Katakolon is a quiet seaside Greek fishing village, located on the northwest coast of
the Peloponnese peninsula. These days, the village serves as a gateway for cruise ship
passengers enroute to visit the ancient site of Olympia.
Olympia is the site of the ancient Olympic Games. Ancient Olympia was not a town, but
a sanctuary with buildings associated with the games and the worship of the gods. We
visited the ancient ruins of the village and stadium and the four of us took a lap
on the track where ancient Olympians competed.
The most celebrated temple was the Temple of Zeus, dedicated to the father of the gods.
In this temple was a statue of Zeus made of ivory and gold, the masterpiece of the
Athenian sculptor Phidias. Next to the Temple of Zeus ranked the Heraseum, dedicated
to Hera, the wife of Zeus.
Phidias created the Statue of Zeus in about 435 BC. The statue, stood in Olympia and
was perhaps the most famous sculpture in ancient Greece. The statue disappeared and is
thought to have been stolen in pieces by treasure hunters. All that remains are models
and various clay and glass molds used to create the statue.
Excavation is an on going process and we were shown an area that had only been
uncovered for about 6 months. Most of the excavation is being done by Germans because
(according to our guide), they are more meticulous and have more money than the
Greeks!