Ancient Olympia

There were originally 2 & later 4 oracles. Tradition records that it was originally a place sacred to Cronus (the Mother of Gods) & Eileithyia, as well as a cult center of the hero Pelops. At some time after the end of the Late Bronze Age, the cult of Zeus was introduced & a walled sacred precinct was established. At 776 B.C. (the date marking the beginning of the historical period), the religious games were reorganized & established as the Panhellenic Olympiades. Olympia developed rapidly & the sanctity of the sanctuary & the Olympic Truce (in effect for a short period every 4 years throughout Greece to protect pilgrims) were almost never violated.

In the 5th century B.C. the sanctuary reached the peak of its fame. Olympia, however, remained predominantly a Greek cult center (in contrast to the Apollo sanctuaries at Delphi & Delos) & until the Roman period only Greeks were allowed to compete. At 470 - 456 B.C. the great temple of Zeus was built & housed the giant chryselephantine statue of Zeus (one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world).

In 85 B.C. Silla robbed the treasuries & held the 175th Olympiada at Rome. The sanctuary recovered its games & prestige in the time of Augustus, but the games were again interrupted in 69 A.D. to accommodate Nero. The end came with the decree of Theodosius at 390 AD.