Plain of Olympia - Illustration from Views of Greece by Edward Dodwell

Plain of Olympia is an illustration from the collection Views in Greece from Drawings published by Edward Dodwell in 1821.

The Olympian Plain, birthplace of the Olympic Games, is a world-renowned historical site. Its vast grassy expanses are home to the ruins of temples and stadiums, recalling the sporting and religious celebrations that marked the history of ancient Greece.

The literal transcription of the notice accompanying this plate is reproduced below:

The famous plain of Olympia, which was once adorned with such a great variety of splendid and curious buildings, and where architecture and sculpture offered some of their most magnificent trophies, is today nothing but a long field of wheat, a flat plain, which contains only a few imperfect and small remains of the sumptuous monuments which once decorated it.

The temple of Olympian Jupiter, which contained the colossal gold and ivory (chryselephantine) statue of the god, the wonder of Greece, is now overturned. The lower part of the cella, and some large fluted fragments of Doric columns, are the only remains that still exist of this imposing edifice, which once excited such lively transports of admiration. It was built of a stone called Poros, which was found near the spot, and whose hardness and color Theophrastus and Pliny compare to those of Parian marble. This stone is composed of shells and concretions, and does not seem to deserve the praise these authors give it. The situation of the temple is scarcely distinguishable in this view. It can, however, be seen at the western end of the plain, to the right of the river, and above the figure on the right. The neighboring height is probably the hill of Saturn. The Alpheus is seen flowing towards the sea on a wide and winding bed. It rises in Arcadia; several streams and torrents pour their waters into it before it reaches the plain of Olympia; and it empties into the sea at the promontory of Ichthys.

The river sometimes overflows into the plain; consequently, the ground is considerably raised above its former level, and there can be little doubt that it contains many rich pieces of sculpture and precious remains of the magnificence of the ancients. We know from the testimony of Suetonius that Nero had several of the most beautiful statues of Olympia thrown into the waters which flowed into the Alpheus. It is probable that if excavations were made in this place, some of the finest pieces of sculpture of antiquity would be discovered. It is to be hoped that some wealthy traveler will be found who will have sufficient taste and enterprise to attempt a research which was not long ago one of the favorite projects of Dr. Winkelmann.