Remains Outside the Altis a

REMAINS OUTSIDE THE ALTIS A. West Side.—The wall bounding the Altis of the time of Nero has two gates, at its N. and S. ends. Each had on the west a portico of four columns. A smaller gate is nearly opposite the Pelopium.

West of this wall, between the Altis and the Cladeus, the fol lowing buildings succeed each other from north to south.

I. The Gymnasium, a large open space, enclosed on two sides at least by Doric colonnades, on the east by a double portico, more than a stadium in length (22o yd.), served as a racecourse for practice in bad weather. At the south-east corner was a Corinthian doorway, leading to the N.W. gate of the Altis. The gymnasium was used by competitors during the last month's training.

2. The Palaestra, for wrestlers and boxers, about 7o yd. square, containing rooms of different sizes, and enclosing a building sur rounded by a Doric colonnade.

3. A Byzantine Church occupies the site of an older brick build ing, perhaps the "workshop of Pheidias" seen by Pausanias. Among adjacent structures an inscribed altar marks the Heroum, where worship of heroes was practised. The Theocoleon, a large building of Roman age, was probably the house of the priests. A long narrow building S. of the church may have been occupied by those alleged "descendants of Pheidias" (Pausanias v. whose privilege it was to keep the statue of Zeus clean. The so called "workshop of Pheidias" evidently continued to be used for actual work, and a lodging was required for the artists.

4. The Leonidaeum, dedicated by an Elean in the 4th century B.C., for the reception of distinguished visitors. Its orientation is from W.S.W. to E.N.E. An outer Ionic colonnade encloses suites of rooms, round a small interior Doric peristyle. In Roman times it was altered to distribute the rooms into four suites. The porticos show traces of much carriage traffic.

B.

South Side.—The limits of the Altis towards the Alpheus can only be traced approximately, since architectural changes were numerous down to the latest times.

I. The Council Hall (Bouleuterium), nearly at the middle of the south wall, comprised two Doric buildings of different date but identical oblong form, divided by a single row of columns, terminating to W. in an apse. In the space between stood a small square building. In front, on the E. a portico covered the front of all three with a large fore-hall, enclosed by a colonnade.

2. The South Colonnade, a late but handsome structure, closed on the north side, with Doric colonnade to S.E. and W., and Corinthian columns within, served as a promenade and to view the processions.

3. A Triumphal Gateway of Roman age, with triple entrance, opens on the Altis, a little E. of the Bouleuterium.

C.

East Side.—The line of the east wall can be followed from the N.E. corner of the Altis till it breaks off at the remains known as Nero's house.

I. Nero's House is a building of 4th-century date and uncertain purpose, afterwards absorbed into a Roman house, to make room for which the S. part of the E. Altis wall was destroyed. A leaden

water-pipe bears NER. AVG., and since only a Roman master could have dealt thus with a building within the sacred precinct, it cannot be doubted that the Roman house—from which three doors gave access to the Altis—was that occupied by Nero when he visited Olympia. Later the building, further enlarged, may have been occupied by Roman officials.

2. The Stadium extends E. of the Altis from W.S.W. to E.N.E., and is entered from the N.E. angle. This position was due simply to the curve of the slopes which bound the valley. The Stadium is only cleared so far as was necessary for ascertainment of essential points. Low embankments had been built on W., E. and S., the N. boundary being formed by the natural slope. The space thus defined was about 234 yd. long by 35 broad. There were no artificial seats. From 40,000 to 45,00o spectators could have found sitting room. The exact length of the Stadium itself—which was primarily the course for the foot-race —was 192.27 metres (about 210 yd.), and consequently the Olym pian foot was 0.3204 metre or 1.05 English foot. In the Heraeum, however, the unit adopted was not this Olympian foot, but an older one of 0.297 metre, and in the temple of Zeus an Attic foot of 1.08 English foot. The starting-point and the goal in the Stadium were marked by limestone thresholds. Drainage was by a marginal channel. The Stadium was used not only for f oot races, but for boxing, wrestling, leaping, quoit-throwing and javelin-throwing. The entrance from the N.E. corner of the Altis was reserved for the judges, competitors and heralds. It was a vaulted tunnel, Ioo Olympian feet in length, probably constructed in Roman times. To the W. the Altis was entered by a gateway and vestibule.

3. The Hippodrome, in which chariot-races and horse-races were held, can no longer be accurately traced, owing to the over flowings of the Alpheus. But it is clear that it lay south and south east of the Stadium, parallel with it, though stretching beyond it to the E. Its length was probably 77o metres or 4 Olympic stadia.

D.

North Side.—A wall running E.–W. immediately N. of the Treasuries protects them from landslides off the Hill of Cronus, and carries the water channel of Herodes Atticus. Further W. it is doubtful whether the Altis was ever marked off from the "Hill of Cronus," which is associated with the oldest worship here.

See the official Die Ausgrabungen zu Olympia (5 vols., 1875-81) ; Laloux and Monceaux, Restauration de l'Olympie (1889) ; Curtius and Adler, Olympia die Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen (189o-97), I. "Topo graphie und Geschichte," II. "Baudenkmaler," III. "Bildwerke in Stein und Thon," IV. "Bronzen," V. "Inschriften"; K. Boetticher, Olympia (189o) ; Daremberg-Saglio iv. (1904-05) s.v.; E. N. Gardiner, Olympia, its History and Remains (1925).