Stadiums and Other Non- Religious Structures
Stadium I was constructed around 560 BC. The stadium was a
dromos, meaning "simple track" in Greek. It had no embankments,
(embankments are tall curved corners on a race track) on the southern slopes of
Kronion Hill. The starting line was on the stadium’s short western side. It
faced the great altar of Zeus. Soon the first stadium was replaced by Stadium
II. This was built around 500 BC, almost in the same place as the first one. The
only thing different about its location was that it had a slight shift to the
east. Its remodeling shows the increasing number of people visiting this sight
by this period.
Non-religious monuments and arenas for the athletes were being
built at the same time also. The Bouleterion, the seat of the highest
council, was in charge of all matters in relation to the sanctuary and Olympic
games, was now built. It had two lengthened structures with internal pillars.
Nearby was the altar and statue of Zeus.
The First Signs Of Building Activity
The first signs of building activity from the early 6th
century BC was Hera’s large Doric temple. The Skiloundians, the allies of the
Pisatans who controlled the sanctuary of Hera at the time, built this in 600
B.C. This was one of the earliest examples of a monumental temple built in
Greece. Inside the main room of the temple, the stone statue of Zeus and Hera
were there. Pausanias visited the area in the 2nd century AD and said
that one of the back columns of the temple was made of wood, but stone gradually
replaced them.
Early Greek Houses
Greek houses were very basic structures built by Neolithic
people. The Neolithic people would carve things into stone tablets. That is why
their name means " people of the new stone". They were the first
people to settle on the Greek peninsula. Their houses were mainly built in a
circular, oval, or rectangular shape. The houses had an entrance at one of the
short sides, if the house was a rectangular shape. Architects used mud, bricks,
and stones that were mixed in with mud, reeds, or brush to make a sturdy house.
Most of the houses that were built had only one room. Rarely did they have two.
The second group of settlers were the Minoan architects. Their
towns were mostly residential, meaning there were hardly any businesses. Only
private homes were in that area. In that town, just a few or possibly no temples
and public places were there. Unlike some earlier people, their houses were
private and they had many rooms. Pillars were used to separate one room from
another, so the houses were very open. The stairways were very central for the
huge houses.
