The Hera Temple is not large, and it is dedicated to the goddessHera Statue。It isOlympiaThe oldest existing building in the site, built around 600 BC, is one of the earliest temples in Greece.776 BC, the first ancientOlympic MovementThe Olympic Games were held here, thus opening the prelude to the 2000 year long history of the Olympic Movement.On the tall stone foundation, there are still a few tall gray brown columns, which indicates the magnificence of the past.The Hera Altar in the east of the temple is the place where the modern Olympic flame is lit.Many buildings and facilities in the archaeological remains of Olympia were built for sports competitions.
At about 16:30 p.m. on April 16, 2024, the flame collection ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games will be held in the arena of the ancient Greek Olympia site and the Hera Temple.[2]
Hera Temple is located in the originalZeus TempleNearbyplaying fieldIt is the oldest existing sports ground in the world.The old site of the sports ground and many buildings around it were buried under 5-7m thick soil due to long-term accumulation of soil.The excavated playground was onceA.DIt was expanded in the first four centuries.It is located in a hilly area full of olive trees, cypress trees and osmanthus trees, 200 meters long and 175 meters wide.What is still intact today is the side of the stone stand, where you can still vaguely see the starting point originally paved with limestone, and the diameter of the stone columns of the surrounding buildings is more than 2 meters.Standing at the height of the stand and looking down, I saw layers of stone steps, like ripples on the water surface.Ancient Greek youth competed here as early as 1000 BC.
The Hera Temple, the site of ancient Olympia in Greece, is now a jumble of stones.This seemingly impossible place is shouldering a great mission.On the eve of each Olympic Games, the priests played by actors will light the flame with concave mirrors there, and then transmit the flame to the host city of the Olympic Games.
This isOlympic GamesThe place where the sacred fire is lit.
Priests gather the sacred fire in the temple of Hera
The Olympic Games originated in GreeceOlympia——Located in Greecepeloponnesian peninsulaWesternCroweNiceA small town beside the mountain is full of temples and arenas.This is one of the religious centers of ancient Greece, and the holy land of the main god Zeus in Greek mythology. The ancient Greeks held a ceremony to worship Zeus here, and held a grand sports event, calledOlympic cycle(that is, four years).
Development of the Temple of Hera
The earliest record isGreecePeople held the ancient Olympic Games in 776 BC.Later, ancient Greecesports meetingIts scale gradually expanded and became a grand event to show the national spirit.The winner of the competition will get laurel, wild olive and palm wreath.From 776 BC to 393 AD, 293 ancient Olympic Games were held in 1170 years.Until 393 ADRoman emperorProhibited.
Between 1875 and 1881,GermanyThe Kutius people have excavated cultural relics in the Olympic sites, which has aroused the interest of the world.FranceeducatorPierre de Coubertin It is believed that restoring the tradition of the ancient Greek Olympic Games is of great significance for promoting the development of international sports.
As a result, the modern Olympic Games came into being. In June 1894, the first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens.After that, it will be held in Member States in turn every four years.In 2008, the Olympic Games finally came to ChinaBeijing。
Hera Temple lighting the sacred fire
ancient GreekThe Olympic site group mainly includes temple sites and sports ground sites, among whichTemple of ZeusIt was the most magnificent building in those days.Thousands of years later, the remaining stone steps and pillars of the site can still tell the spectacular scene of that year.
ZeusThe site of Hera Temple of Wife is the oldest existing Doric temple building site. Hera Temple is also the oldest pillared temple in the Holy Land and one of the earliest Doric temples in Greece, built about 600 BC.Goddess is enshrined hereHera StatueThe hall is long and narrow, with 44 colonnades around it.Although the scale is small, today's Olympic flame gathering ceremony is held here.
Hera Temple is said to have been built on an older sacrificial site. This temple was originally dedicated to Zeus, but it was not dedicated to Hera until about 580 BC when Elis began to control Olympia.The temple was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th century and has not been rebuilt since.
The original temple of Hera was made of wood, but later it was gradually transformed into stone.Because the renovation process is very long, the styles of each part are different, reflecting the style of the renovation period,such asThe surrounding columns are different.
There are two gods in the temple: the sitting statue of Hera and the standing statue of Zeus.In addition, the temple is also used to preserve many other objects such as many statues and offerings.One of them is from OlympiaHermesLike.In addition, the laurels of the winners of the Olympic Games are also stored in the Temple of Hera.
The fire in 2007
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In Greek legend,Hephaestus(Hep haestus) is the god of fire and forging, the son of Zeus and Hera.He obtained fire from the volcano and made the most exquisite metal utensils for the gods.However, this god of fire could not protect his human residence from the raging fire, and the temple of Hephaestus built in his name was almost buried in the fire.
In August 2007, the largest fire in Greek history burned the forest land of half of Greece and swallowed it“Sanctuary of Olympia ”The surrounding green trees scorched the 2500 year old rocks there.Fortunately, the fire did not enter the site, but the nearest fire was only a few meters away from the site.The temples, cultural sites and archaeological museums in the birthplace of the modern Olympic Movement were spared.
"When the fire approached the site of Olympia, the strong wind turned and the fire moved around the site in other directions," said Christos, who worked at the ancient site of Olympia.Maybe it's on Mount Olympiagreek god They are protecting the site.
Olympia China Forest
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After experiencing one of the most serious forest fires in the world in 150 years, in order to restore the ecology around the "Ancient Olympia Torch Site" as soon as possible and help Greece complete the greening task before the collection of the Beijing Olympic flame as soon as possible, the Greece China Economic, Trade and Cultural Exchange Association invited 2008Chinese volunteersGo to Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and plant 2008 olive trees on a charred forest near the site to create the "Olympia China Forest" and spread green, peace and friendship.
From the middle of December 2007, 2008 Chinese volunteers flew to Greece in batches to plant 2008 olive trees symbolizing peace next to the ancient Olympic flame site. Each tree will be permanently hung with a data board with the nationality and name of the tree planter, and the sponsor and the Greek Olympian municipal government will issue certificates.
Olympic MovementOriginating from Greece, it is one of the most precious spiritual treasures Greece has left to mankind. The creation of the 2008 Olympia Chinese Forest is not only to help Greece restore the ecology around the ancient Olympia site, to welcome the public love journey of the Beijing Olympic flame collection, but also one of the most precious spiritual treasures China has given to the world.
After the fire, the Greek side has repeatedly stressed that they will thoroughly heal the scars left by the fire on the ancient Olympic site before the Beijing Olympic flame collection ceremony, and everything will be ready by then.[1]
Relevant information
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Why did the Holy Flame Collection Choose Hera Temple
At 5:00 p.m. on March 24, 2008 Beijing time, the collection ceremony of the Olympic flame was held in front of the Hella Temple in Greece.This is also the place where the Olympic flame has been lit since 1936. Why did you choose the site of ancient Olympia in Greece?Why did you choose only in front of the Temple of Hera?There are cultural origins among them.
In the ancient Olympic Games, the so-called flame was the eternal flame on the altar of Hera Temple in the ceremony of sacrificing Zeus - it symbolized the legal inheritance of human beings from Zeus to obtain natural divine power.
The ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, about 300 kilometers southwest of Athens, the capital of Greece, because at that time, it was considered to be the place where Zeus convened the gods to hold a congress (Zeus' residence was on Mount Olympus in the northern part of ancient Greece), which was a "holy land".After more than 2000 years of wind and rain, there are only ruins of ancient buildings in the Greek era, and only one Hera Temple to worship the Queen has survived. This is the oldest existing building in Olympia, built around 600 BC.
In order to connect with the spirit of the ancient Olympic Games, in 1936, the modern Olympic Games also collected the flame in the Hera Temple for the first time.After that, the ceremony of collecting the flame for all previous Olympic Games was held at the Namphoon altar on the square in front of the Hera Temple.In order to maintain the purity of the Olympic flame, only the flame collected from Olympia can be used for transmission throughout the torch relay, and cannot be mixed with any symbolic flame.
The modern Olympic flame is formed by the Greek high priest (now played by actors) using concave mirror equipment to ignite the torch in the sunlight of Olympia, and is called the "fire of peace".
On May 10, 2012London Olympic Games78 days before the opening ceremony, the London Olympic flame was lit in front of the Hera Temple in Olympia, Greece.This flame gathering ceremony was also broadcast to the world through the Internet for the first time.
Holy Flame Collection
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At about 16:30 p.m. on April 16, 2024, the flame collection ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games will be held in the arena of the ancient Greek Olympia site and the Hera Temple.
