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The remains of the Altar of Zeus, viewed from the south |
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Constructed in the 5th century before Christ, the monumental Altar of Zeus lies east of the Temple of Zeus and parallel to its short side. The "great" Altar, which had steps on one long side, served as the site for athletes and trainers to perform their sacrifices and swear their oaths before competing in the Nemean Games. The remains depict an extremely long narrow altar, similar in form only to the Altar of Poseidon at Isthmia. Unfortunately, we will never know the actual length of this altar as farmers in the Early Christian period destroyed the missing end. Construction of the Altar is not uniform throughout its extant length, and it is easy to see that additions were made in antiquity. One such addition is the four-piered tetrastylon over part of the Altar. A mixture of dark earth and tiny bits of burnt bone lying in bands beside the Altar shows that spilled debris was regularly swept up. We cannot know whether the length of the Altar meant that large numbers of animals were sacrificed simultaneously or that different parts of the altar were reserved for sacrifices to different deities.
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This web site was designed and developed by Susannah L. Van Horn; please direct comments and inquiries to: nemeaucb@berkeley.edu