Basilica
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/01/01/13/015 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Olympia: Byzantine Basillica Ancient Olympia |
| Dates | 15/12/1896 |
| Donor/Creator |
Poynter, Mr Ambrose M. |
| Scope and Content | Screen of Byzantine church. The Drawing is annotated in ink in the lower left-hand corner: 'Byzantine Church at Olympia. Screen etc. 15/12/96 drawn by M. Poynter traced 28/07/96'. |
| Further information | The sanctuary of Olympia in present-day Elis is known for having been the site of the Olympic games in classical times. It consists of various secular and religious buildings both within the temenos and outside. Remains of votive burnt offerings which were found in situ date back to the 10th c. BC while the first Olympic festival took place in the 8th c. BC. The earliest evidence of building activity on the site dates from around 600 BC. The classical period, between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, was the golden age of Olympia. The site flourished during the Hellenistic and the Roman periods. The last Olympic games were organised in 393. The same year Theodosios I officially banned the games. For a very short period, until the end of the 6th c. the site was inhabited by a small Christian community that converted Pheidias workshop into a Christian basilica. |