Archaeological Site of Nemea
The archaeological site is located at the foothills of the Arcadian mountains, at an altitude of 333 meters. Its location and climatic conditions were probably the reason why the Nemean Games were held here. The area remained uninhabited, as it turned into a marsh in the winter, but in the summer, it was the ideal setting for athletic events. Undoubtedly, the most important sights in Nemea are the Temple of Zeus and the Stadium. Since there were no inhabitants in Nemea, the games were organized under the supervision of the nearby Kleones, but eventually, Argos prevailed.
The seven generals of Argos also decided to halt in Nemea during their campaign towards Thebes (the Seven Against Thebes). According to the myth, the seven generals asked a nurse for water. However, she wasn’t looking after just any child. The young woman was holding the son of the king of the city, Opheltes. She left the infant in a cradle made of wild celery to fetch water for the generals, and then a serpent fatally bit little Opheltes. To appease the gods, the generals established the games. Thus, the Nemean Games were born, with the Argives honoring the infant with funeral games and offering the winners a crown made of wild celery.
- The Sanctuary of Zeus
The first temple of Nemean Zeus was built around the 6th century BC, coinciding with the start of the Nemean Games. The archaic temple measured approximately 10.10×36.30 meters. It lacked a peristyle and had two columns on its eastern side, which was also the entrance. It had a two-columned façade, a stylobate of mortar, and a typical Corinthian roofing system with large square tiles. After its destruction in the 4th century BC, it was decided to rebuild the temple on the foundations of the previous one. The new temple, measuring 20.09×42.55 meters, featured a pronaos with two columns on the façade, and its columns were surrounded by antae, the naos, and the adyton. The temple was a peripteral structure with 6×12 columns in the Doric order, reaching a height of 7.49 meters. It had six columns on the long sides and four on the western side. In the adyton, a crypt of unknown purpose, 2 meters long, was discovered. The roof was made of wooden beams covered with clay tiles, and the door consisted of two wooden leaves with an opening of 4.16 meters.
To the east of the entrance of the Temple of Nemean Zeus, there was a stone altar used for sacrifices to honor Zeus, dating to the 5th century BC. This altar was renovated in the 4th century BC and extended to the north, measuring 41 meters in length. It was made of a series of low limestone blocks, with traces of the base of two statues found at the southern end.
To the southwest of the Temple of Zeus, a long embankment was found, which protected the sacred area from floods. At the southern part of this embankment, the Heroon of Opheltes was discovered, a rectangular structure measuring 1.40×3.15 meters, dating from the second quarter of the 6th century BC. The structure was made of upright, unworked stones, and three altars were found as well. In the early 3rd century BC, it was renovated in the old style, with a new row of yellowish limestone blocks, extending the area to approximately 850 square meters.
- The Stadium
The Stadium, with a capacity of approximately 40,000 spectators, was constructed 400 meters southeast of the Temple of Zeus in Nemea. Its track, 178 meters long, was surrounded by a stone conduit with stone basins at intervals to collect drinking water. On the southern side, there is a stone starting line. Athletes and judges, after preparing in a simple rectangular building (the Locker Room) with an internal colonnade on the western side, would enter the Stadium through a vaulted passage. Spectators sat on makeshift stepped levels carved into the soft rock, while stone seats were placed in two or three rows between the starting line and the passage.
The Stadium, where the Panhellenic Games in honor of Opheltes were held every two years, was built at the end of the 4th century BC as part of the renovation program of the sanctuary. Around 270 BC, the games were transferred to Argos, although Aratus of Sicyon attempted to return the games to Nemea in 235 BC. After a period of alternating between Nemea and Argos, the games were permanently transferred to Argos. The Stadium was excavated between 1974-1981 by the American School of Classical Studies (University of California) under the direction of Professor St. Miller. Partial restoration and stabilization of the Vaulted Passage of the Stadium have been completed.