Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/495

 OLYIMPUS. riots were broken. There was a similar object for frightening horses both at the Corinthian Isthmus and at Nemea, in consequence of which the difficulty of the race was increased. Beyond the Taraxippus were the terminal pillars, called vvaa-at, round which the chariots turned. On one of them stood a brazen statue of Hippodameia about to bind the taenia on Pelops after his victory. The other side of the Hip- podrome was a natural height of no great elevation. On its extremity stood the temple of Denieter Chamyne. (Pans. vi. 20. § 15— v. 21. § 1.) The course of the Hippodrome appears to have been two diauli, or four stadia. (Apo/xoy 5e dai rod 'nnriov fx^Kos /xev SiuvAot Svo, Pans. vi. 16. § 4.) Blure, indeed (vol. ii. p. 327), understands /xriKos in this passage to refer to the length of the area; but Leake (Peloponnesiaca, p. 94) maintains, with more proba- bility, that it signifies the length of the circuit. 22. The Theatre is mentioned by Xenophon (Hell. vii. 4. § 31), but it does not occur in the description of Pausanias. A theatre existed also at the Lsthmus and Delphi, and would have been equally useful at Olympia for musical contests. Xenophon could hardly have been mistaken as to the existence of a theatre at Olympia, as he resided more than 20 years at ScUlus, which was only three miles from the former spot. It would therefore appear that between the time of Xenophon and Pausanias the theatre had disappeared, probably in consequence of the musical contests having been discontinued. Besides the buildings already mentioned, there ■was a very large number of statues in every part of the Sacred Grove, many of which were made by the greatest masters of Grecian art, and of which Pausanias has given a minute description. Accord- ing to the vague computation of Phny (xxsiv. 7. s. 17) there were more than 3000 statues at Olym- pia. Most of these works were of brass, which ac- 'counts for their disappearance, as they were con- verted into objects of common utility upon the extinction of Paganism. The temples and other monuments at Olynijiia were, hke many others in ditferent parts of Greece, used as materials for modern buildings, more especially as quarries of stone are rare in the district of Elis. The chiefs of the powerful Albanian colony at Lala had in par- ticular long employed the ruins of Olympia for this purpose. The present article is confined to the topography of Olympia. An account of the games and of every- thing connected with their celebration is given in the Dictionary of Antiquities. (Stanhope, Olympia, Lond. 1824; Krause, Olym- pia, 1838; Mure, Tour in Greece, -vol. ii. p. 280, seq.; Leake, Peloponnesiaca, p. 4, seq. ; Curtius, Peloponnesos, vol. ii. p. 51, seq.) OLYMPUS COKvfxnos). 1. One of the loftiest mountains in Greece, of which the southern side forms the boundary of Thessaly, while its northern base encloses the plains of Macedonia. Hence it is sometimes called a mountain of Macedonia (Strab. vii. p. 329; Ptol. iii. 13. § 19), and sometimes a mountain of Thessaly. (Herod, vii. 128; Plin. iv. 8. s. 15.) It forms the eastern extremity of the Cambunian range, and extends to the sea as far as the mouth of the Peneius, being separated by the vale of Tempe from the heights of Ossa. Xenagoras, who measured the perpendicular height of Olympus from the town of Pythium, ascertained its elevation to be ten stadia and nearly one plethrum (Plut. Aemil. 15); which Holland, Dodweli, Leake, and OLYMPUS. 479 others regard as not far from the truth, since they estimate its height to be between six and seven thousand feet. But these writers have considerably undercalculated its elevation, which is now ascer- tained to be 9754 feet. Herodotus relates that Mt. Olympus was seen by Xerxes from Therma (vii. 128); and we know from modern travellers that in clear weather it is visible from Mt. Athos, which is 90 miles distant. {Journ. Geogr. Soc. vol. vii. p. 69.) All travellers, who have visited Mt. Olvm- pus, dwell with admiration upon its imposing gran- deur. One of the most striking descriptions of its appearance is given by Dr. Holland, who beheld it from Litokhoro at its base: — "We had not before been aware of the extreme vicinity of the town to the base of Olympus ; but when leaving it, and accidentally looking back, we saw through an opening in the fog, a faint outline of vast precipices, seeming almost to overhang the place ; and so aerial in their aspect, that for a few minutes we doubted whether it might not be a delusion to the eye. The fog, how- ever, dispersed yet more on this side, and partial openings were made, through which, as through arches, we saw the sunbeams resting on the snowy summits of Olympus, which rose into a dark blue sky far above the belt of clouds and mist that hung upon the sides of the mountain. The transient view we had of the mountain from this point showed us a line of precipices of vast height, forming its eastern front toward the sea; and broken at intervals by deep hollows or ravines, which were richly clothed with forest trees. The oak, chestnut, beech, plane- tree, &c., are seen in great abundance along the base and skirts of the mountain ; and towards the sum- mit of the first ridge, large forests of pine spread themselves along the acclivities. Behind this first ridge, others rise up and recede towards the loftier central heights of Olympus. Almost opposite the town of Litokhoro, a vast ravine penetrates into the interior of the mountain, through the opening of which we saw, though only for a few minutes, what I conceive to be the summit, — from this point of view, with a somewhat concave ascending line on each side." (Holland, Travels, vol. ii. p. 27.) Though the lower sides of Olympus are well wooded, the summit presents a w^de extent of a bare light- coloured rock. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. i. p. 434.) The broad summit of Olympus is alluded to by Homer, who gives to it the epithet of ixoi.Kp6s more frequently than any other. Next to that, is aydvvKpos (II. i. 420), from its being covered with snow during the greater part of the year. Hesiod (Theog. 118) also gives it the epithet of vi^tuds. Below the summit its rugged outline is broken into many ridges and precipices, whence Homer describes it as TToAuSeipar. (//. i. 499, v. 754.) The forests, which co'ered the lower sides of Olympus, are fre- quently alluded to by the ancient poets. (i:oKv?>(v- Spos, Eurip. Bacch. 560; Ossaeyro«t/o«!/"f''<5s. (Dod- weli, Tour through Greece, vol. ii. p. 105;. Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iii. pp. 341,407.) Olympus was believed to be the residence of Zeus and tiie other gods; and as its summit rose above the clouds into