Olympia Olympia is located in the east of Pilgos in the western Peloponnesian Peninsula, Greece, at the intersection of the Alpes and Krazefs rivers, 370 kilometers away from Athens. The climate here is pleasant, the scenery is beautiful, and there are olive trees, cinnamon trees and cypresses everywhere. The main road of the town is only 500 meters long, and there are more than a dozen restaurants and shops on both sides. Although the sparrow is small, it has all aspects. Not only are all kinds of public facilities available; A special service station has been set up to provide tourists with all kinds of sightseeing information. The permanent population of the town is only 1000, mainly engaged in tourism. Olympia is a beautiful town between mountains and rivers. What really makes her famous is the ancient ruins of Olympia.
From 776 BC to 394 AD, the ancient Olympic Games were banned by the Roman emperor Diodo Xi who invaded Greece, and were held for 293 times. Since then, the Olympic Games have been interrupted 1500 years. 1896, Frenchman Coubertin resumed the Olympic Games.
The legendary ancient Olympic Games were related to the ancient Greek gods who lived on Mount Olympus: either regular sports activities were held to worship Zeus, or Hercules, the son of Zeus, drove away the king and held the Olympic Games to celebrate the victory, or Pelops, the grandson of Zeus, arranged chariots and gladiators at the meeting to win the love of Elis, the beloved daughter of the ancient Greek king, and held the first ancient Olympic Games. On the issue of mountains and immortals, it seems that there are similarities or similarities between ancient China and ancient Greece.
When our reporter first set foot in the Cultural Information Office of the Greek Embassy in China, the unique chairs and clean colors in the office made people lament the Greeks' pursuit of beauty and art, and the signs with the style of impressionist masters once again made reporters feel an impulse to go to Greece to experience culture and art, and appreciate the spiritual holy land full of fairy tales and the source of western civilization-Olympus.
The best way to experience culture and art
I first learned about the existence of Mount Olympus in middle school geography textbooks, and I first learned about Greece in middle school history textbooks. When I picked up the brush and pointed it at the statue made of gypsum, I felt the Greek culture and art for the first time. I am amazed at those beautiful fairy tales and characters. I used to think that Greeks were all incarnations of mythical gods. Those statues are so perfect that almost all of them have the famous "Greek nose" and full muscles. What is particularly attractive is that they are wrapped inside. I believe that many students who are immersed in statues and art halls every day in order to enter the Academy of Fine Arts know the famous statue of Greece-"discus thrower", which is the work of Miron, an early classical sculptor. His works are accurate in modeling and have a deep understanding and communication on the internal bones and muscle movements of the characters. His masterpiece "The discus thrower" shows the continuity of action in a fixed movement, which solves the problem that the weight of human body falls on one foot in sculpture and changes the upright procedure.
Greek art, mythology and Olympics are inseparable from Mount Olympus. They are interrelated and exist with each other, and they are irreplaceable forms of existence in the world. According to legend, the twelve great gods of Greece all lived on Mount Olympus, which people could not climb. They are Zeus, Apollo, Ares, hephaestus, Hermes, Poseidon and the goddess Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Hestia, Artemis and Demeter. Dionysus later came to Olympus, and Hades, the brother of Zeus and Poseidon, was the king of the underworld, and also came to the mountain. Prometheus, who was doomed to suffer for a long time on the cliff, always wore an iron ring inlaid with a stone from Caucasus Mountain, which enabled Zeus to boast that his enemies were still locked in the mountains ... Pheidias, the greatest sculptor in the heyday of classical times, designed the Acropolis architecture according to the myths and legends of Mount Olympus, and created a lot of sculptures and decorative reliefs in the Acropolis. His works create an elegant and quiet image, which is a model of the ideal beauty of classical sculpture. The statue of Athena he created for the Parthenon is 12 meters high, carved with gold and ivory wrapped in wooden tires, showing the posture that the goddess holds the little goddess of victory in one hand and the shield in the other, which is worshipped by contemporaries and later generations. In addition, he also created a statue of Athena with a spear for the Acropolis Square in Athens, which is 9 meters high. It is said that the flash of gold-plated spear tip can be seen at sea. His high relief for the east and west triangular lintels of the Parthenon is considered to be the most perfect specimen of classical sculpture. Among them, three goddesses of fate have beautiful posture and vivid clothing lines, which not only set off the plump figure of the goddess, but also have an elegant and feminine sense of movement.
Mount Olympus is an indispensable factor for ancient Greece to become the birthplace of European culture. The ancient Greeks made brilliant achievements in science, philosophy, literature and art, which had a far-reaching impact on the development of European culture. The formation and development of Greek art is closely related to its social history, national characteristics and natural conditions. Slave-owner democracy in the city-state provides favorable conditions for the development of culture and art, and the city-state requires citizens to have strong physique and perfect mind, which has also become an ideal image of artistic creation. The development of trade and navigation has created the strong will, wit and flexibility of the Greeks, as well as the positive character of bravely pursuing ideals, and also exposed them to the cultures of the two river basins, Egypt and other regions.
Mount Olympus is the carrier of Greek mythology, which is the soil of Greek art. Greek mythology contains people's rational thinking about the mysteries of nature and the germination of historical and philosophical concepts. The characteristics of "God and man are alike" in Greek mythology created God? O with human touch and emotion, it has become a favorable factor to promote the close connection between art and life. The mild Greek climate provides Greeks with a vast world for outdoor activities and sports. In the four-year Olympic Games, the naked competition of athletes provides artists with the conditions for shaping healthy bodies, so that they can have an early understanding and performance of the beauty of the human body. It is in this environment that Greek artists created the most outstanding art in the ancient world and left the most precious legacy to the treasure house of mankind. Greek culture and art make many people immersed in the fantasy of Greece, and the best way to feel it is to go to Greece! Go to the ancient Olympic stadium, where the discus thrower happened, and go to Olympus.
The only place to explore the origin of western civilization
When Prometheus, the god of fire in Greek mythology, spread the fire to the world, the small fire on Olympus suddenly lit up human civilization. Mount Olympus in ancient Greek mythology is full of unpredictable mystery, which attracts the attention of modern tourists and mountain climbers.
Olympus Mons is a sacred and steep mountain. It is magnificent and stands in the mountains of Greece. In winter, snow-capped peaks shine in the sun; In summer, the valley is shaded by trees. Every day, when the sun rises in the east, the dawn first shines on the peak of this holy mountain; When the sun goes down, the silver moon rises from the east, and the brilliant peak of Olympus is covered by sunset. Sometimes, large dark clouds will float from all directions to the hillside of this mountain, so the valley is dark, the wind blows hard and it rains heavily. However, the great gods chose this place to build their palaces and rule the world there. Above the sea of clouds, there is a colonnade, and in front of the colonnade is a garden with strange flowers and herbs. Surprisingly, strong winds have never reached this paradise, and there has never been a storm over these rock-solid palaces. The top of the mountain is always sunny, sunny and full of flowers. This is how the great gods and small gods on Olympus spend their days. They usually live in this quiet environment, but only occasionally come to the earth. When they came to the earth, they all appeared in the form of people or animals.
The most exciting chapter in ancient Greek mythology is that Zeus, the god who lives on Mount Olympus, rules the universe. In order to show their respect for Zeus, the Greeks held a grand sacrifice in Olympia. They sacrificed cattle and sheep, sang and danced, celebrated feasts and held sprints at the same time. The earliest race was only a 200-yard sprint, which was about 182 meters. Later, wrestling, discus throwing, javelin throwing, horse racing and running were gradually added. Zeus, the god of gods, wrestled and won Coronos; Apollo boxing defeated Aris and ran beyond Hermes ... The winner of every competition should wear a laurel, and the winner wearing a laurel is worshipped as a god. The most famous poets dedicated hymns to them, and the first-class artists built memorial statues for them in Olympia. Winners' hometown welcomed them as heroes who went out to triumph, and some cities deliberately opened a gap in the wall to let them 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 of a nation with healthy mind. They control the development direction of the whole society with the belief of being strong and always striving for the first place, which is why philosophers and scientists such as Socrates and Aristotle are also excellent athletes. They pay attention to the development of morality, intelligence and physique, and the winners get the highest honor and are universally respected. Olympic Games is an extremely important event in ancient Greek life. Even the war has to make way for the sports meeting. The warring sides will suspend their attacks and wait until the five-day sports meeting is over before continuing to fire. As you can imagine, when strong athletes were running and throwing in the stadium, there were already many knives and guns outside the stadium, but the Greeks ignored them. Their muscles tensed by their strength are longing for peace, mocking the enemy, yearning for the Olympic Games and confidence in winning the war.
The first Olympic Games created by the gods on Mount Olympus was held at the foot of the town of Olympia. Now it is a piece of yellow land, which looks like a dry river, surrounded by gentle slopes with green grass, and there is no trace of the runway. If you look carefully, you will find a stone line like a threshold, which was the starting line more than 2700 years ago. The main historical sites preserved here are: temple area composed of dozens of temples, altars and ancestral halls, stadiums, gymnasiums, wrestling schools, gymnasiums, conference halls, carving workshops, bathrooms and lounges. Zeus Temple is the largest building in the temple area, and its fallen stone pillars are all more than 2 meters in diameter. The whole building is 20 meters high and rectangular. Nanfen altar is the place where the torch is lit during the Olympic Games. The torches of all previous modern Olympic Games were obtained here. The stadium is located in the east of the temple area, surrounded by stands made of earth slopes, which can accommodate 45,000 spectators.
In the past Athens Olympic Games, 50 male and female athletes who participated in the shot put competition were lucky enough to enter through the famous arch, which was the "secret door" to the ancient Olympic Games. Everyone's face showed reverence. American star Nelson sighed: "At the foot of this sacred mountain, I feel small. Ancient history and myths and legends have made me feel strange. " Indeed, when you see the ancient and dilapidated temples of Zeus and Hera, the huge stones blackened by thousands of years of wind and rain, and the empty space in front of Hera Temple to take the Olympic flame, everyone will stand silently and associate it with that beautiful and heavy history.
The best way to enrich the spiritual home
The ancient Greeks had everything. They dare to love and hate, indulge in life and listen to their inner desires, creating the most advanced and respected society of their time. Today, the height of ancient Greek civilization is still fascinating. How to inject the passion and Excellence of the ancient Greeks into your daily life? Visiting ancient times is an important part of traveling to Greece. You can choose to visit the Aegean culture in Crete, or visit the ancient city culture in Athens and Sparta ... but the best way to enrich the spiritual field is to climb Mount Olympus and feel where the gods used to be, so that myths can enrich your spiritual life and Olympia can charge your passion.
Mount Olympus is covered with fog all year round, and about two-thirds of the year is covered with snow. Oaks, phoenix trees, chestnuts, beeches and pine forests are lush on the hillside. On the top of the towering mountain, between the clouds and the Milky Way, flowers are in full bloom, trees are shaded, the seasons are evergreen and the scenery is very beautiful. The ancient Greeks regarded Mount Olympus as the residence of the gods, which is probably also an important reason. Cochitis, Information and Tourism Counselor of the Greek Embassy in China, said that Mount Olympus is obviously different from other mountains in Greece, with towering ancient trees and strange pines soaring into the sky. In the words of China people, it is an absolute treasure trove of geomantic omen. Nowadays, many tourists go on a pilgrimage, especially those who like climbing mountains.
The highest peak of Mount Olympus is Miticus. There are more than 1700 kinds of plants on the mountain, among which 23 kinds of plants only grow on Olympus. 105 birds and 32 animals. Including deer, bears, wild goats, wolves, foxes, wild boar, eagles and so on. When you go, you will be fascinated and linger. It is understood that Mount Olympus can start from Lido Hrusz village at the foot of the mountain and drive to Stafford Road village at an altitude of 945 meters. It can provide a place for tourists to eat and rest. It takes about 5 7 hours to walk from Staffordshire village along E4 road to Pollio Nia village, which provides meals and coffee. There are three accommodation places on the mountain, namely Arabidos Hotel at an altitude of 2 100 meters, Galaros Hotel at an altitude of 2,650 meters and Apostolos Hotel at an altitude of 2,740 meters. Their capacities are 90, 18 and 80 respectively.
Golden Week is the most beautiful season in Europe and the best tourist season in Olympus. Seize the opportunity to revel with the gods, let the artistic atmosphere infect you, let the spirituality of God call you, and let Olympus shape you.
Our reporter Wen Yang.
Olympus Mountaineering Association Tel: 0030-2352084544
Address of the Information Office of the Greek Embassy in China: Building 8, Jianwai SOHO, No.39 East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100022.
Tel: 58696860
Website: www.gntobeijing.com
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Olympus Mons is closely related to the development of ancient Greek art. Myth adds mystery to Olympus Mons, while art makes Olympus Mons and another myth of life last forever. In a sense, the existence of Olympus decided and triggered the emergence and development of ancient Greek mythology and art.
Ancient Greek art can be basically divided into Homeric period, Antique period, Classical period and Hellenistic period.
1. Homer era (BC 12 years-before the 8th century)
Homer period was named after the author of Homer's epic, that is, the end of clan society. Homer's period is the formation period of Greek mythology and the embryonic period of plastic arts.
The earliest plastic arts works in Homer's era were geometric pottery with simple shapes and different sizes, which was used for sacrifice and burial. The figurines used for burial in this period are also geometric and have not been described in detail. Therefore, this period is also called "geometric style period".
2. Antique period (7th-6th century BC)
Antique period is the formative period of plastic arts. During this period, oriental culture influenced Greek art through trade exchanges, and Greek art gradually formed its own style by absorbing the strengths of oriental culture and getting rid of the influence of the East. The artistic achievements in this period are mainly painting, architecture and sculpture.
Architecture: Greek architecture is mainly temples. In ancient times, Greek temple architecture formed its typical form-column, that is, the building was surrounded by colonnades. Two basic architectural columns have been formed, namely Dorian and Ionia.
Sculpture: Ancient sculptures were influenced by Egypt, and the figures were all stiff and upright. Men and women have the same smile on their faces, commonly known as "antique smile".
3. Classical period (5th-4th century BC)
This period is a prosperous period of Greek art, and all kinds of arts have made great achievements, among which architecture and sculpture have the most far-reaching influence on later generations.
Architecture: In the classical period, various parts of column architecture began to form a fixed format and proportion, and the general trend was simple and reasonable. The architectural achievements in this period are considerable, the most prominent of which is the Acropolis complex.
Sculpture: Sculpture in the classical period has completely got rid of the bondage and decoration of ancient times, produced a realistic and ideal human body, reached the peak of Greek sculpture art, and appeared a number of excellent sculptors.
In the late classical period, sculpture began to pay attention to the characterization of personality, showing people's personality and feelings, and the characters were full of interest in life and inner passion. This personalized description marks the further maturity of Greek sculpture.
4. Hellenistic period (end of 4th century BC-A.D. 1 century)
During the Hellenistic period, King Alexander of Macedonia led troops to conquer the Greek city-states and established the Alexander Empire. With the continuous conquest and expansion of the empire, Greek culture spread to the East and communicated with the East, also known as the "Pan-Greek period".
The artistic achievements of this period are mainly sculpture, and the sculpture art has formed various styles centered on different regions.
Bergamot in Asia Minor was one of the artistic centers in Hellenistic period, and scopes with tragic style continued to develop. Zeus altar of bergamot is his masterpiece.
During the Hellenistic period, portrait carving developed, and portraits praising emperors and dictators appeared. The biggest feature of these portraits is that they emphasize extraordinary personality and tend to combine idealism with personality, such as Alexander's portrait. At the same time, many portraits of philosophers, poets and writers appeared.