Panathenaic stadium
Panathenaic Stadium, also known as Kallimarmaron, has a 60,000 seating capacity and is made exclusively from marble.
Modern and Contemporary era (1821 - )
1868 Ernst Ziller bought the area and made excavations. Then, he sold the land to King George Ι who then gave away the stadium to the Olympic Committee.
1894 It was decided to put new marbles in the stadium in view of the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896; the marble-placement procedure was initially implemented in part. The supervision was by Anastasis Metaxas and the sponsorship of Georgios Averof.
1906 Marble-placement procedure finally completed.
1959 A proposal was made for reconstruction and expansion, so that it could be turned into an Olympic stadium. Because this proposal would have destroyed the monument and the hill, it provoked strong negative reactions and was not implemented.
Ottoman era (1453- 1821)
During the Christian years, and especially during the Ottoman period, there were widespread prejudices regarding the area, including the rumor of witches living in the area.
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
It was extended and turned to stone by Herodes Atticus (2nd cent. AD). Used for gladiator and beast battles.
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
Classical era (478-323 BC)
It was constructed in the 4th century B.C. by Lykurgus. Here, the Gymniki Games (Naked Games-track and field games) were held in the context of the Great Panathenaia.
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
The Panathenaic Stadium is situated on Ardittos hill, one of the seven hills of Athens, where Athenians built temples. Today, it has a capacity of more than 60,000 spectators, while it had 50,000 at the time it was renovated by Herodes Atticus. It consists almost entirely of modern marble, but there are also a few ancient remains. The track is 204.07m long and 33.36m wide. In 1894, new marble was installed in the stadium in light of the first modern Olympic Games, which were held two years later in 1896. The marble used came from Mount Penteli. It is known as Pentelic marble and is of exquisite quality, which is why the stadium is also called Kallimarmaro (=fine marble). On the north side of the horseshoe shape stadium, there is a stoa which was used for athletes to enter the stadium. Today, it leads to the Olympic gallery and the track field sports museum. Also worth noting is that the outflow duct exists here from ancient times and has been maintained in excellent condition. Lastly, the stadium offers a unique simultaneous view of the Acropolis and Lycabettus hill.
What I can't see
The architects of ancient Greece preferred to exploit the natural landscape to construct theatres and stadiums, as opposed to the Romans who built them on even terrain. The ancient stadium (4th century BC) had wooden seats only for prominent Athenians, whilst spectators in the rest of the stadium sat either on rocks or on the ground. Following its expansion in the 2nd century AD (turned to stone), the seating capacity reached approximately 50,000. During the centuries when it was inactive and deserted, its marbles were used as building materials. A total of 550 workers participated in the renovation project, which cost the equivalent of 5% of the country’s military budget. It was in the 19th century, when watching games became very popular among the bourgeoisie of Europe and the US that Pierre de Coubertin decided to revive the Olympic Games, in 1890. The first Games took place in 1896 in Athens. Since then, the Panathenaic Stadium is the only site in the world apart from ancient Olympia, which has kept an Olympic flag always raised. The Panathenaic Stadium has hosted major sports and cultural events (e.g. reception of Olympic medal winners, games and ceremonies and concerts).
Info
- Address: V. Konstantinou St.
