The Stadium at Olympia Tucked away in southern Greece, this ancient stadium hosted both the Olympic games dedicated to the god Zeus and the Heraia, the women’s games held in honor of the goddess Hera.The stadium’s third and final form was completed in the 5th century BCE and was surrounded by artificial banks that could accommodate roughly 45,000 spectators. It featured a 697-foot-long racetrack, stone benches along the south bank for judges, a vaulted entrance for the athletes and an altar on the north bank for the goddess Demeter, whose priestess was the only woman allowed to watch the Olympic games. Photo by: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World Photo 4 of 9 in Stadiums that Made History by Allison Otto

Stadiums that Made History

4 of 9

The Stadium at Olympia

Tucked away in southern Greece, this ancient stadium hosted both the Olympic games dedicated to the god Zeus and the Heraia, the women’s games held in honor of the goddess Hera.The stadium’s third and final form was completed in the 5th century BCE and was surrounded by artificial banks that could accommodate roughly 45,000 spectators. It featured a 697-foot-long racetrack, stone benches along the south bank for judges, a vaulted entrance for the athletes and an altar on the north bank for the goddess Demeter, whose priestess was the only woman allowed to watch the Olympic games. Photo by: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World