Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/830

Rh 770 O L Y O L Y east of Olympia, near the village of Miraka, small streams flow from comparatively high ground through the side -valleys which descend towards the right or northern bank of the Alpheus. From these side-valleys water was now conducted to Olympia, entering the Altis at its north-east corner by an arched canal which passed behind the treasure-houses to the reservoir at the back of the exedra. The large basin of drinking-water in front of the exedra was fed thence, and served to associate the name of Herodes with a benefit of the highest practical value. Olympia further possessed several fountains, enclosed by round or square walls, chiefly in connexion with the buildings outside the Altis. The drainage of the Altis followed two main lines. One, for the west part, passed from the south-west angle of the Heraion to the south portico outside the south Altis wall. The other, which served for the trea sure-houses, passed in front of the Porch of Echo parallel with the line of the east Altis wall. The whole subject of the water-works of Olympia was exhaustively investigated by Herr Graber, and has been explained by him in vol. v. of the Excavations, pp. 26 sq. Such, in brief outline, are the more important results of the German exploration of Olympia, an enterprise alike honourable to the Government which undertook it and to the eminent men by whom it was conducted. The work of excavation was from the outset guided by scientific knowledge, and the results were at no point confused or obscured by rash and unsound theories. The general out come of the undertaking is certainly greater than could have reasonably been anticipated at its commencement. In the Olympia seen by Pausanias there was, of course, very much of which not the slightest trace has been found, such, for instance, as the temples of Eileithyia, of Aphrodite Urania, and of Demeter Chameune. In regard to particular works of art, many hopes of discovery have been disappointed, nor can &quot;the survival of the fittest&quot; be always acknowledged in the salvage from so many cen turies of ruin. On the other hand, the German campaigns had their welcome surprises and their strokes of good fortune, such as the finding of the Hermes and the Nice. Above all, they have their reward in this, that the topo graphy of Olympia is now thoroughly ascertained. We now know with certainty the exact position of the prin cipal buildings, the plan of the Altis and its relation to its whole environment, and all the main local conditions of the festival. In reading an Olympian ode of Pindar, the modern student can now call up the scene with ade quate fulness of detail. Precious as are the particular works of ancient art which have been discovered, and valu able as are the results of the study of art and architecture, the largest gain of all consists in the vivid and suggestive light thus shed on a great centre of Hellenic history and life. (R. c. J.) OLYMPIAS, the ambitious and energetic wife of Philip II., king of Macedonia, and the mother of Alexander III., commonly called The Great, was daughter of Neoptolemus I., king of Epirus, who claimed to be descended from Pyrrhus, son of Achilles. Plutarch tells us that it was while being initiated in the Samothracian mysteries, in which she was an enthusiastic participant, that Philip, still very young, fell in love with her. The marriage took place in 359 B.C., shortly after his accession, and Alexander was born in 356. There was also a daughter, named Cleopatra. The fickleness of Philip and the vehement and jealous temper of Olympias led to a growing estrange ment, which became complete when Philip married a second wife, Cleopatra, in 337. Alexander, who strongly sided with his mother, withdrew, along with her, into Epirus, whence they both returned in the following year, after the assassination of Philip, which Olympias is said to have countenanced. During the absence of Alexander, with whom she had regular correspondence on public as well as domestic affairs, she had great influence in Macedonia, and by her arrogance and ambition gave great trouble to Antipater, so great, indeed, that on the death of her son (323) she found it prudent to withdraw into Epirus. Here she remained until 317, when, allying herself with Polysperchon, by whom her old enemy had been succeeded in 319, she took the field with an Epirote army; the op posing troops at once declared in her favour, and for a short period Olympias was mistress of Macedonia. Cas- sander, Antipater s son, speedily, however, returned from the Peloponnesus, and, after an obstinate siege, compelled the siirrender of Pydna, where she had taken refuge. One of the terms of the capitulation had been that her life should be spared ; but this did not protect her against trial for numerous and cruel executions (including that of Nicanor, Cassander s brother) of which she had been guilty during her short lease of power. Condemned without a hearing, she was put to death tumultuously by the friends of those whom she had slain, and Cassander is said to have denied her remains the rites of burial (316). OLYMPUS, the name of many mountains in Greece and Asia Minor, and of the fabled home of the gods, and also a city name and a personal name. I. Of the mountains bearing the name the most famous is the lofty ridge on the borders of Thessaly and Macedonia. The river Peneus, which drains Thessaly, finds its way to the sea through the great gorge of Tempe, which is close below the south-eastern end of Olympus and separates it from Mount Ossa. The highest peak of Olympus is over 9000 feet high ; it is covered with snow for great part of the year. Olympus is a mountain of massive appearance, in many places rising in tremendous precipices broken by vast ravines, above which is the broad summit. The lower parts are densely wooded ; the summit is naked rock. Homer calls the mountain dyavFt^os, /xa/cpos, TroAvSetpa? ; the epithets vi^oets, TroAi SevSpos, frondosus, and opacus are used by other poets. The modern name is &quot;EAv/^Tro, a dialectic form of the ancient word. The peak of Mount Lycaeus in the soiith-west of Arcadia was called Olympus. East of Olympia, on the north bank of the Alpheus, was a hill bearing this name ; beside Sellasia in Laconia another. The name was even commoner in Asia Minor : a lofty chain in Mysia (Keshish Dagh), a ridge east of Smyrna (Nif Dagh), other mountains in Lycia, in Galatia, in Cilicia, in Cyprus, ic., were all called Olympus. II. A lofty peak, rising high above the clouds of the lower atmosphere into the clear ether, seemed to be the chosen seat of the deity. Homer distinguishes between Olympus, which is the mountain, and the heaven or ether; but later poets use the terms as practically equivalent. In the elaborate mythology of Greek literature Olympus was the common home of the multitude of gods. Each deity had his special haunts, but all had a residence at the court of Zeus on Olympus ; here were held the assemblies and the common feasts of the gods, III. There was a city in Lycia named Olympus ; it was a bishopric in the Byzantine time. IV. A semi-historical musician, named Olympus, was connected with the development of flute music about 700 B.C. It is probable that he introduced the double flute, and increased the number of holes in the instrument and the tones of which it was capable : on the right flute were three holes for the low notes, on the left four for the high notes. He also brought into use compositions for the flute without words (&amp;lt;poi /xa,Ta). It is said that he was an elegiac poet, but this is apparently a misconception. It is difficult to say whether Olympus is an actual histori cal person, or whether he merely represents in an indivi dualized form the influence which Phrygian music, used in the Phrygian religion, began to exert on the Ionian cities about 700 B.C. The growth of intercourse between Phrygia and Ionia at this time is certain (see PHRYGIA). In any case, the musical innovations associated with the name of Olympus were the beginning of a richer and more