The Stadium at Olympia, Greece

The Olympia Stadium with the surface made of grass and stones with a capacity of 20,000 spectators, tenanted by 2004 Olympic Athletics.

Olympic Race Track in modern Olympia, Greece

The 'Exedra', the stone platform on which the judges sat, located on the south embankment of the stadium.

The stadium is located at the ancient archaeological site of Olympia, to the east of the sanctuary of Zeus in Greece. It was the location of the sporting events at the Ancient Olympic Games. It is considered a holy place for the ancient Greeks, because here sports and games dedicated to Zeus were held. The original location was within the temenos, and spectators could view the sports events from the slopes of Mt. Kronos. But, gradually, it was relocated east until it reached its present location in the early 5th century BCE.

Ruins of the Philippeion, Greece

Photo: Temple of Philip II of Macedon in Olympia, photo taken in July 2006

The Philippeion in the Altis of Olympia, an Ionic circular memorial built of ivory and gold and the only structure inside the Altis dedicated to a humans, contained statues of Philip II's family, Alexander the Great, Olympias, Amyntas III and Eurydice I. It was created by the Athenian sculptor Leochares in celebration of Philip's victory at the battle of Chaeronea (338 BC).