Olympic Stadium 1

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View looking south at the Olympic Stadium in Athens .  The original stadium may have been built about 330 B.C. and was reinaugurated in A.D. 120 by Hadrian and again in A.D. 144 by Herod Atticus.  During ancient times the Panathenaic Games were held here.

This modern stadium was rebuilt along the lines of the ancient one between 1896 and 1906.  It is built primarily of Pentelic marble and seats 70,000 spectators.  It hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.  It was the scene of the opening ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and the Marathon—that began in Marathon (!) and finished in the stadium!

The main stadium for the 2004 Olympics is in Maroussi, a suburb of Athens — although there were many additional venues.

Image courtesy of Jerry Hawkes.

To view the original stadium in Olympia Click Here.