Olympia Olympia is located in the western Peloponnese, Greece, east of Pyrgos, the confluence of the Alpheus River and the Krazevos River, 370 kilometers from Athens. The climate is pleasant and the landscape is beautiful, full of olive, laurel and cypress trees. The main road of the town is only 500 meters long, with a dozen or so restaurants and stores lining both sides. It's a small town, but it's got it all. Not only are there all kinds of public **** facilities; there is also a special service station that provides tourists with all kinds of tourist information. The population of the town is only 1,000 people, mainly engaged in tourism. Olympia is a beautiful town in the mountains and water, but it is the ruins of ancient Olympia that really make her famous.
The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. and were banned in 394 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Theodosius, who invaded Greece, and were held 293 times. After that, the Olympic Games were interrupted for more than 1,500 years. 1896, the Frenchman Coubertin made the Olympic Games resumed.
Legendary ancient Olympic Games, with the ancient Greek gods living on Mount Olympus: or for the sacrifice of Zeus and regularly held sports and athletic activities, or Zeus's son Hercules drove away the king in order to celebrate the victory in the Olympic Games held in the Olympic Games, or Zeus's grandson, Pelops, in order to win the love of the king's beloved daughter of the ancient Greek Elysium love, in the meeting The first ancient Olympic Games were organized by arranging chariot and gladiatorial competitions. It seems that ancient China had the same or similarities with ancient Greece when it came to mountains and fairies.
The first time this reporter stepped into the cultural press office of the Greek Embassy in China, the unique chairs and clean color tone in the office, let people have to sigh the Greeks on the pursuit of beauty and art, that has the impressionist masters of the style of the logo once again from the bottom of the reporter's heart to rise a kind of go to Greece to feel the culture and art, go to appreciate the myths and stories and the source of the spirit of the spirit of Western civilization of the holy land!
The sign, in the style of an impressionist master, once again gave the reporter an impulse to go to Greece to experience culture and art, and to appreciate the spiritual sanctuary full of myths and the source of Western civilization.
The best way to feel culture and art
The earliest I knew of the existence of Mount Olympus was in my secondary school geography textbook, the earliest I knew of Greece was in my secondary school history book, and the earliest I felt Greek culture and art was the first time I picked up a paintbrush for a plaster statue of a god, and I marveled at those beautiful mythological stories and characters, and I once felt that Greeks were all the embodiment of gods and goddesses in mythology. Those statues were so perfect that almost all of them had the famous "Greek nose" and full muscles, and what was especially attractive was the mysterious and far-away aura of illusion that shrouded them. I believe that many students who are immersed in statues and art halls every day in order to enroll in the Academy of Fine Arts are aware of the famous Greek statue, "The Discus Thrower", which is the work of the early classical sculptor, Milon. His work is accurately modeled, with a deep understanding and communication of the bone and muscle movement inherent in the figure. His masterpiece, The Discus Thrower, shows continuity of movement in a fixed action, brilliantly solving the problem of the center of gravity of the human body's weight falling on one foot, and changing the program of uprightness in sculpture.
Greek art, mythology and the Olympics are inextricably linked to Mount Olympus. They exist in relation to each other, an irreplaceable form of existence in the world. According to legend, the twelve great Greek gods lived on Mount Olympus, which people could not climb. They were: Zeus, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Poseidon and the goddesses Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Hestia, Artemis and Demeter. Dionysus came to Mount Olympus later, while Hades, the brother of Zeus and Poseidon, was king of the underworld and came to the mountain as well. Prometheus, sentenced to long suffering on the cliffs, also wore an iron ring forever, set with a stone fragment from the Caucasus Mountains, so that Zeus could boast that his enemies were still chained to the mountain ...... The greatest sculptor of the classical period, Phidias, designed the architecture of the Acropolis and created the Acropolis in the shape of the myths and legends of Mount Olympus numerous carvings and decorative reliefs. His works create elegant, serene images that exemplify the ideal beauty of classical sculpture. His 12-meter-high statue of the goddess Athena for the Parthenon, made of wood covered with gold and ivory, showing the goddess holding a small Victory in one hand and a shield in the other, was admired by his contemporaries and descendants. In addition, he also created a statue of Athena holding a spear for the Acropolis Square, up to 9 meters high, it is said that in the sea can be seen in the gilded spear tip flash. The high-relief sculptures he created for the triangular frieze of the Parthenon are regarded as the most perfect specimens of classical sculpture, among which the Three Goddesses of Fortune are beautifully posed and vividly clothed, which both accentuate the goddess's full-bodied form and give her a sense of fluid and supple movement.
Mount Olympus is an indispensable element for ancient Greece to become the birthplace of European culture. Ancient Greeks created brilliant achievements in science, philosophy, literature and art, which had a profound impact on the development of European culture. The formation and development of Greek art are closely related to its social history, national characteristics and natural conditions. The slave-owning democratic system of the city-state countries provided favorable conditions for the development of culture and art, and the city-state countries required their citizens to have robust physique and perfect mind, which also became the ideal image for art creation. The development of trade and navigation created the Greeks' strong will, resourcefulness and flexibility, as well as the positive character of the pursuit of ideals, and also gave the Greeks the opportunity to come into contact with the cultures of the Two Rivers, Egypt and other regions.
Mount Olympus is the carrier of Greek mythology, and Greek mythology is the soil of Greek art, Greek mythology contains people's rational thinking about the mystery of nature, which contains the germ of historical and philosophical concepts. The feature of "the same shape and the same sex of gods and men" in Greek mythology makes the gods and men have the appearance and emotion of human beings, which becomes a favorable factor to promote the close connection between art and life. The mild Greek climate allowed the Greeks to have a wide range of open-air activities and sports venues. Quadrennial Olympic Games, athletes nude athletes for the artists to provide the conditions to shape the human body, so that they have an early understanding of the human body beauty and performance. It was in this environment that Greek artists created the most outstanding art of the ancient world, leaving the most precious heritage to the treasury of mankind. Greek culture and art have immersed many people in Greek fantasies, and the best way to experience it is to go to Greece! The best way to experience it is to go to Greece, to the ancient Olympic Stadium where the discus thrower took place, and to Mount Olympus.
The must-visit place to explore the origins of Western civilization
When Prometheus, the god of fire in Greek mythology, brought fire to the earth, the little fire on Mount Olympus suddenly lit up human civilization. The ancient Greek myth of Mount Olympus is full of inscrutable mystery, attracting modern tourists and mountaineering enthusiasts.
Olympus is a sacred steep mountain, he is majestic and magnificent, towering in the mountains of Greece. In winter, the snow-capped peaks glisten in the sunlight; in summer, the valleys are green and shady. Every day, when the sun rises in the east, the dawn light first shines on the summit of this holy mountain; when the sun goes down and the silver moon rises in the east, the top of the glorious Mount Olympus is sprinkled with sunset. Sometimes, too, great masses of dark clouds would come from all directions towards the slopes of this mountain, so that the valley was darkened, the winds blew, and the rain poured down in torrents. Nevertheless, the great gods chose this very spot to build their palaces and to rule the world from there. Above the sea of clouds was a colonnade, and in front of the colonnade were gardens with exotic flowers and plants. The marvelous thing was that strong winds never blew into this paradise, and there was never a storm over these rock-solid palaces. It was always windy, sunny, and fragrant with flowers on the mountain tops. This is how the great and lesser gods on Mount Olympus spent their days. They usually live in this quiet environment, and only occasionally come down to earth. When they came down to earth, they all appeared in human appearance or in the form of animals.
One of the most haunting chapters of ancient Greek mythology is that Zeus, the god of the heavens who resides on Mount Olympus, dominates all things in heaven and earth. In order to express their reverence for Zeus, the Greeks held great sacrifices in the Olympia region. They offered cattle and sheep as sacrifices, singing and dancing, celebrating and drinking, and at the same time have to carry out sprinting competitions. The earliest competition was the 200-yard dash, which was about 182 meters. Later gradually increased wrestling, discus throwing, javelin throwing, horse racing and racing and other projects. Zeus, the god of the gods, beat Koronos in wrestling; Apollo beat Aris in boxing and Hermes in running. ...... The winners of each competition were crowned with laurels, and the laurel-wearing winners were worshipped as gods. The most famous poets dedicated hymns to them, and first-rate artists built statues in their honor at Olympia. The hometowns of the winners welcomed them as heroes on their triumphant campaigns, and some cities purposely opened a gap in their walls to allow them to enter the city like conquerors. The ancient Greeks believed that the gods who lived on Mount Olympus created the Olympic Games. This is the normal rational thinking possessed by a healthy minded people who swayed the whole society with their belief in being strong and always striving to be the first, which is why philosophers and scientists such as Socrates and Aristotle were also sportsmen. They focused on moral, intellectual and physical development, and the winners received the highest honor and universal respect. The Olympic Games were an extremely important event in the life of ancient Greece. Even wars had to make way for the Games. Warring sides would pause in their attacks and wait until after the five-day games were over before resuming fire. As you can imagine, when the robust athletes running and throwing in the field, outside the field has been the swords and guns, killing, but the Greeks did not pay attention to, they tensed muscles due to the force is the desire for peace, is the enemy of ridicule, is the Olympic Games of the yearnings and the war will be won the confidence.
The first Olympic Games, created by the gods on Mount Olympus, were held at the foot of the small town of Olympia, which is now a field of yellow earth that looks like a dried-up river, surrounded by gentle slopes of green grass, and no trace of a running track can be seen at all. If you look carefully, you will find a threshold-like stone line that was the starting line more than 2,700 years ago. The main monuments that remain here are the Temple Quarter, which consists of dozens of temples, altars and shrines, the Stadium, the Gymnasium, the Wrestling School, the Gymnasium, the Conference Hall, the Carving Workshops, as well as the Baths, the Rest Rooms, and so on. The Temple of Zeus is the largest building in the Temple District, and its large stone pillars, which have been tipped to the ground, are all over 2 meters in diameter. The whole building is 20 meters high and rectangular in shape. The Temple of Namfion is the place where the torch was lit during the Olympic Games. The flame of the torch of all modern Olympic Games was obtained here. The stadium is located to the east of the shrine area and is surrounded by stands made of earthen slopes with a capacity of 45,000 spectators.
Just past the Athens Olympics, the 50 men and women competing in the shot put had the honor of entering through the famous arch, the "hidden door" to the ancient Olympic Games, and everyone's face was a look of reverence. The famous American Nelson exclaimed: "At the foot of this sacred mountain, I feel small. The ancient history and myths and legends give me a strange feeling." Indeed, seeing the ancient and dilapidated temple of Zeus and Hera, the boulders blackened by thousands of years of wind and rain, as well as the open space in front of the temple of Hera to take the Olympic fire, who will stand in silence, associated with the marvelous and heavy history.
The best way to enrich your spiritual home
The ancient Greeks had it all, they dared to love and hate, lived life to the fullest, listened to their hearts' fervor, and created the most advanced and revered society of their time. To this day, the heights of ancient Greek civilization remain mesmerizing. How can you infuse the passion and excellence of the ancient Greeks into your daily life? "Visiting the ancient world is an important part of traveling to Greece. You can choose to go to Crete to study the Aegean culture, or go to Athens and Sparta to study the culture of the ancient city-states ...... But the best way to enrich the spiritual realm is to climb Mount Olympus and feel where the gods used to be, so that the myths can enrich your spiritual life, and let Olympia recharge your passion.
Olympus mountain year-round cloudy, about 2 / 3 of the year was covered by snow, the slopes of oak, sycamore, chestnut, beech and pine forests lush and pale; lofty summit, in the clouds and stars and rivers, between the flowers in full bloom, green trees into the shade, four seasons, evergreen, the scenery is very beautiful. The fact that the ancient Greeks used Mount Olympus as the dwelling place of the gods was probably an important reason for this. The Greek Embassy in China News and Tourism Counselor Kochidis said that Mount Olympus and other places in Greece are obviously different from the mountain, everywhere is the sky of ancient trees and straight through the clouds of the pine, with the Chinese saying, is the absolute feng shui treasure land. Nowadays, there are many tourists who go on "pilgrimage" to the mountain, and it is especially popular among mountaineers.
The highest peak of Mount Olympus is Mitigas (Mitikas) peak, the mountain **** more than 1,700 kinds of plants, of which 23 kinds of plants only grow on Mount Olympus. 105 kinds of birds, 32 kinds of animals. Including deer, bears, wild goats, wolves, foxes, wild boars, eagles and many more. If you go you will be mesmerized and will never forget to come back. It is known that you can go up to Mount Olympus by driving from the village of Ridokhrus at the foot of the mountain to the village of Starflu, which is 945 meters above sea level. There, visitors can be offered a place to eat and rest. From the village of Stavrou along the E4 highway to the village of Polionia, where meals and coffee are served, it takes about 5 7 hours. There are 3 places to stay in the mountain a***, the Hotel Arabidos at 2100 meters above sea level, the Hotel Gagaros at 2650 meters above sea level and the Hotel Apostolisis at 2740 meters above sea level. Their guest capacity is 90, 18 and 80 respectively.
Golden Week is the most beautiful season in Europe and the best season to visit Mount Olympus, seize the opportunity to go and revel with the gods, let the breath of art infect you, let the spirituality of the gods transfigure you, and let Mount Olympus mold you.
By Yang Jianhong/Wen
Olympus Mountaineering Association Tel: 0030-2352084544
The press office of the Greek Embassy in Beijing is located at Building 8, Jianwai SOHO, No. 39, Dongsanhuanzhonglu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100022
Tel: 58696860
Website. www.gntobeijing.com
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Olympus and the development of ancient Greek art are inseparable, the myth adds a mysterious color to Olympus, and art makes the myth of Olympus and the existence of another kind of life into eternity, in a sense, the existence of Olympus determines and triggers the emergence and development of the myths and art of ancient Greece. In a sense, the existence of Olympus determined and triggered the emergence and development of ancient Greek mythology and art.
Ancient Greek art can be basically divided into the Homeric period, the Archaic period, the Classical period, and the Hellenistic period.
1. Homeric period (12th-8th centuries BC)
The Homeric period was named after the author of the Homeric epics, that is, the end of the clan society. The Homeric period was the period of the formation of Greek mythology and the budding of the plastic arts.
The earliest works of plastic art in the Homeric period were geometric style pottery, simple in shape and size, which was used for honoring the gods and for burial. The figurines used for burial in this period were also geometrical in shape and without detailed carvings. Therefore, this period is also known as the "Geometric Style Period".
2. The Archaic Period (7th-6th centuries BC)
The Archaic Period was a period of formation in the plastic arts. During this period, the Eastern culture influenced Greek art through trade exchanges, and Greek art formed its own style by absorbing the strengths of the Eastern culture and gradually getting rid of the Eastern influence. The achievements of this period were mainly in painting, architecture and sculpture.
Architecture: Greek architecture is mainly temples. During the Archaic period, Greek temple architecture developed its typical form --- the peristyle, that is, the building was surrounded by a colonnade. Two basic architectural columnar styles have been developed, namely the Dorian and Ionic styles.
Sculpture: The sculpture of the Archaic period was influenced by Egypt, and the figures were in a frontal upright and rigid state. Both male and female figures have a uniform smile in their expressions, commonly known as the "Old Style smile".
3. The Classical Period (5th-4th centuries BC)
This period was a period of prosperity for Greek art, with great achievements in all branches of art, including architecture and sculpture, which had the most far-reaching influence on later generations.
Architecture: In the classical period, the various parts of the peristyle buildings began to form a fixed format and proportions, and the general tendency was to be concise and reasonable. The architectural achievements of this period are quite impressive, of which the most prominent representative is the Acropolis complex.
Sculpture: the classical period of sculpture has been completely freed from the constraints of the archaic period and decorative, resulting in a realistic and ideal human body, reached the heyday of the Greek sculpture art, the emergence of a number of outstanding sculptors.
In the late classical period, sculpture began to focus on the portrayal of personality, the expression of human personality and feelings, the characters are full of life and inner passion. This characterization marked the further maturation of Greek sculpture.
4. Hellenistic Period (Late 4th Century B.C.---1st Century A.D.
During the Hellenistic Period, King Alexander of Macedonia led the conquest of the Greek city-states and established the Alexander Empire. As the empire continued to conquer and expand, it led to the spread of Greek culture to the East and exchanges with Eastern cultures, a period also known as the "Pan-Hellenistic Period".
The art achievements of this period were mainly in sculpture, and various styles centered on different regions were formed.
Pergamos in Asia Minor was one of the centers of art during the Hellenistic period, where the pathos of Skopos continued to develop. The Altar of Zeus at Bergamus is its masterpiece.
During the Hellenistic period, portrait sculpture was developed and portraits glorifying emperors and dictators appeared. The most important feature of these portraits is to emphasize the extraordinary personality, there is a tendency to combine idealization and personalization, such as the Portrait of Alexander. At the same time, there are also many portraits of philosophers, poets and writers.