Our first (and only) full day in Olympia was dedicated to none other than the archaeological site of Olympia and its connected museum. This large, spread out area of land was built in dedication to Zeus. It is, however, perhaps more well-known for being the home of our beloved Olympic Games. While the origin for these athletic competitions is greatly debated upon-some cite Hercules as its founder, while others believed it to serve as source of nonviolence and unity between all of the outside city-states-what we we do know is that this tradition began nearly 11 centuries ago in 776 B.C. Although the events now greatly differ from those originally competed during Greco-Roman times, we deemed it only necessary to pay tribute to the foundation of athletic competition by competing in an event of our own: a running race. Ultimately, we crowned Matthew the Olympian of our class and presented him with an olive crown, as they did in the old days. After visiting this very special and influential location, we proceeded into the Museum where our lovely tour guide showed us a variety of important statues, bronze items, and excavated ruins of Zeus’ temple.
For lunch, we dined at various cafes and restaurants in this quaint little town and eventually all made our way to the Apollo Jewelry store, where many purchased souvenirs for friends and family.
Following this busy morning, we relaxed, took in the beautiful mountain scenery, and ended the night with class and a dinner together.
By: Meredith LaVine
Oles in Greece 2020 