Holton in Greece: Holton wins the gold medal

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Holton wins the gold medal

Hello! Today we channeled our inner athlete. We walked across the street from our hotel to the ancient site of Olympia, where the Olympic Games were held. Olympia is one of the 4 sites of Panhellenic Games. Nemea, Isthmia, and Delphi were the other three sites, and the games rotated locations each year. The Olympic Games were the most famous because they were the biggest games and because they were dedicated to Zeus. On site, Lia and Halsey gave their presentations on the Altis (religious part of the site) and the Olympic Games. Then, we explored the site. First we saw a temple dedicated to Hera, which is interestingly made out of a type of local limestone that has fossilized shells. Near the temple of Hera was the temple to Zeus, which is much bigger and more elaborate. The temple was at one time the biggest in the world, and we stood by the column drums the had fallen down and were on their sides -- their diameter is as tall as we are! Then it was time for the games to begin. We walked into the Olympic stadium and ran a race, starting from the ancient starting line.

After an intense running race (congrats to Tori, the winner), we headed over to Phidias' workshop, also on the site. Celine gave her presentation on Phidias, who sculpted the statues of Zeus at Olympia and the statue of Athena that once stood in the Parthenon.Then, we left the site and visited the Olympia museum where we saw some awesome statues of Hermes and Infant Dionysos and Phidias' own cup found in his workshop.

Our time in Olympia ended with a yummy lunch, and we boarded the bus for Delphi. 4 hours later, we reached the hills of Mount Parnassos and the site of ancient Delphi. We checked into the hotel and walked down to see the temples to Athena (there are 2). After this short excursion, we got ready for dinner. We ate at a beautifully located restaurant that allowed us to look out on the rolling hills of Delphi. Tomorrow we will see more of the site before returning to Athens for he final night. Can't wait to see you soon!

-Ashley H and Cecily

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Trip Overview

Greece, often dubbed “the Cradle of Western Civilization,” offers students and scholars a chance to walk in the footsteps of classical visionaries and among the buildings that served as the foundations of our modern society. Greece’s art and archaeological remains range from the mathematically impeccable Parthenon to the victory grounds at Olympia, and from the seat of the god Apollo’s Oracle at Delphi to the Christian monasteries at Osios Loukas. These sites have been the source of artistic inspiration worldwide, and have attracted countless intellectual travelers and religious pilgrims alike for centuries. Greece’s archaeological record exposes the dramatic shifts in Greek history, from the establishment of Christianity in the Byzantine period to Islamic rule of the Ottoman Empire and even Axis occupation in WWII. These events greatly affected what remains from Greece’s past, and why. Since enacting the Antiquities Law of 1834, the first law worldwide that marked the importance of preserving cultural heritage, Greece has played a central role in the increasingly significant topics of archaeological ethics, cultural heritage, and national identity. Using the monuments and museums as our on-site classroom, AP Art History students will explore individual research topics, grapple with questions of the past’s relation to the present, and gain appreciation for the lasting effects of human achievements.