They are half of a circle, not an exact circle but elliptical, and made so that the fingers pass through as they do through the handle of a shield. Such are the fashion of them. By the statue of Struggle are Dionysus, Orpheus the Thracian, and an image of Zeus which I mentioned just now.7
Talk of Treasuries again.
Hippodamium is a semicircular
Hippodrome mentioned.
] As you go to the stadium along the road from the Metroum, there is on the left at the bottom of Mount Cronius a platform of stone, right by the very mountain, with steps through it. By the platform have been set up bronze images of Zeus. These have been made from the fines inflicted on athletes who have wantonly broken the rules of the contests, and they are called Zanes (figures of Zeus) by the natives.
Mentions of the stadium again.
These I saw myself as they were being dug out. A temple of no great size in the Doric style they have called down to the present day Metroum,51 keeping its ancient name. No image lies in it of the Mother of the gods, but there stand in it statues of Roman emperors. The Metroum is within the Altis, and so is a round building called the Philippeum. On the roof of the Philippeum is a bronze poppy which binds the beams together.
Mentions of town hall and potentially the Bouleuterion.
It remains after this for me to describe the temple of Hera and the noteworthy objects contained in it.
Temple of Hera.
In the temple of Hera is an image of Zeus, and the image of Hera is sitting on a throne with Zeus standing by her, bearded and with a helmet on his head. They are crude works of art.
Explaining the in depths of the Temple of Hera.
This too is in the Town Hall, opposite the chamber where stands the hearth. In this room they entertain the winners in the Olympic games.
Mentions the Prytaneion, talking about entertaining the winners.
starting-point for the chariot-race there is an altar with an inscription
Mentions the hippodrome for chariot races.
It was dedicated by Leonidas, a native, but in my time the Roman governors of Greece used it as their lodging.
Mentioning of location of hotels that were used for Roman Governors
Outside the Altis there is a building called the workshop of Pheidias
Workshop of Pheidas mostly known for the construction of Zeus.
Near the treasury of the Sicyonians is an altar of Heracles
Comparing the location of the Alter of Heracles and the Treasuries
Quite close to the entrance to the stadium are two altars; one they call the altar of Hermes of the Games, the other the altar of Opportunity
Explaing the entrance of the stadium.
The descendants of Pheidias, called Cleansers, have received from the Eleans the privilege of cleaning the image of Zeus from the dirt that settles on it, and they sacrifice to the Worker Goddess before they begin to polish the image.
Location of Pheidas
The altar of Olympic Zeus is about equally distant from the Pelopium and the sanctuary of Hera, but it is in front of both.
Altar of Zeus location
To the right of the entrance of the temple of Zeus, on the north side, lies the Pelopium.
Describing the location of the Pelopium
The god sits on a throne, and he is made of gold and ivory. On his head lies a garland which is a copy of olive shoots. In his right hand he carries a Victory, which, like the statue, is of ivory and gold; she wears a ribbon and – on her head – a garland.
Explaining the Temple of Zeus.
The temple and the image were made for Zeus from spoils, when Pisa was crushed in war by the Eleans,20 and with Pisa such of the subject peoples as conspired together with her.
Describing the Temple of Zeus.
At the very edge lies Cladeus, the river which, in other ways also, the Eleans honor most after the Alpheius.
Describing the Cladeus River.
The rules for the presidents of the games are not the same now as they were at the first institution of the festival.
They could have communicated with eachother at Prytaneion, a place were offcials would meet as well as Olympic winners.
The order of the games in our own day, which places the sacrifices to the god for the pentathlum
Explaining the Altar of Zeus where sacrifices where done.
At the twenty-fifth they recognized the race of full-grown horses, and Pagondas of Thebes was proclaimed “victor in the chariot-race.”
Talking about horse races, which would have been near or at the stadium
At the eighteenth Festival they remembered the pentathlum and wrestling
Talks again about the wrestling, would have happened near the gymnasium.
Coroebus an Elean was victor. There is no statue of Coroebus at Olympia, but his grave is on the borders of Elis
Coroebus was the first victor of the foot race, his grave is on the borders of Elis.
Zeus wrestled here with Cronus
This is the location of the Palaestra.
the games, and to have called them Olympic. So he established the custom of holding them every fifth15 year, because he and his brothers were five in number.
This is interesting of how the games were held every five years, instead of four years in modern times.
As for the Olympic games, the most learned antiquaries of Elis say that Cronus was the first king of heaven, and that in his honor a temple was built in Olympia by the men of that age, who were named the Golden Race.
This is describing the Hill of Cronus, which was an unnamed hill.
By the time you reach Olympia the Alpheius is a large and very pleasant river to see, being fed by several tributaries, including seven very important ones.
The area of the Alpheius River and where is starts and leads to near Olympia.
road to Olympia, before you cross the Alpheius,there is a mountain with high, precipitous cliffs. It is called Mount Typaeum. It is a law of Elis to cast down it any women who are caught present at the Olympic games, or even on the other side of the Alpheius, on the days prohibited to women.
This is the start of his journey to Olympia, This shows how during these times women were not allowed to be present at the games.