Rising high above the plains of Greece stand the mighty peaks of Mount Olympus. Even today, these lofty crags give off an air of majesty and mystique. In ancient times, Mount Olympus was envisioned as the very home of the Greek gods. Epic myths told of Zeus and Athena residing in shimmering palaces that crowned remote summits on high. From those glittering heights, the gods of old Greece were thought to govern mortal realms stretched out below.
The Legend of Mount Olympus
The true highest point of Mount Olympus is Mytikas Peak, soaring 9,573 feet towards the heavens. Over fifty jagged mountain peaks occupy this range, divided by deep, lush ravines. It’s easy to see why the ancient mind would envision Olympus as a separate domain from the temporal world of mortals. Early storytellers pictured the Greek gods descending on rays of light from their cloud-shrouded castles to bless the lands below.
We can trace humans gathering on Olympus’s slopes back to the misty recesses of prehistory. Archaeologists have unearthed remnants of ruins and artifacts suggesting the mountain was a sacred site as early as the Neolithic period. Perhaps ancient tribes came together on the high crags hoping to gain the favor of weather gods dwelling in the skies. We do know with certainty that by the 5th century BC, the Greek faithful were traversing up the cliffs to give offerings to Zeus, Athena, and the other newly emergent gods of the Greek pantheon.
Restricted Entry in Olympus
In the tales of ancient myth, Mount Olympus was no easy journey. Heroes like Hercules were said to have climbed mighty ravines and crossed yawning chasms in their quest to reach the gods’ distant outposts. Less courageous mortals making the trek relied on the guidance of wise centaurs to find the elusive path. And deadly plummets off narrow tracks awaited those unworthy of attempting the climb.
At the threshold, lay the guardianship of the Horae. These three sister goddesses watched the entrance to the heavenly realm, scarcely permitting people to pass through to the world beyond. Any reception with the gods demanded feats of immense bravery and virtue. But the exceptional mortal who proved their heroic mettle would be granted a divine audience.
Legend Including Alexander the Great!
History tells us that Alexander the Great strived to reach Mount Olympus’s sacred apex during his march across the landscape of Greece. Legend has it that after a grueling ascent, Alexander crested the windswept cliffs to stand atop the highest spire, reaching towards the stars. Some recount Alexander meeting Zeus’s herald, the sea god Triton, there waiting to congratulate him as the greatest of mortal conquerors for attaining such lofty heights.
While we can’t verify the legends, the tales reveal that centuries after Mount Olympus entered myth, it was still seen as a bridge between the mundane and the miraculous. Clearly a site with an enduring aura of the fantastical.
Present History of Olympus
In 1937, the Hellenic Republic sought to protect the natural wonder and archeological wealth of Mount Olympus’s slopes. Mount Olympus became designated as Greece’s first national park in 1938. Since then, conservation efforts have kept the region remarkably pristine through the modern era. Strict protections are in place for rare flora, unique wildlife, and any remnants still being uncovered from Greece’s mythic past.
With clarified routes established up the mountainside, Mount Olympus now sees thousands of climbers and hikers arriving every year, wishing to personally connect with this storied landscape. The journey to the heights is just as steep and treacherous as the first myth-makers described. As one ascends into the swirling mountain mists, a sense of crossing out of the mundane world into legendary territory still persists.
And a few modern sojourners even return from Olympus’s lofty crags with tales that seem to defy rational explanation. Glimpses of unearthly figures, strange sensations of oneness, feelings of mental contact with divine voices – such accounts seem ripped straight from the annuls of Greek mythology! While they can spark skepticism in some, the continued wonder Mount Olympus can invoke lies at the heart of its enduring enchantment.
So, as an enduring stronghold of the Twelve Gods of high, the soaring granite of Mount Olympus stands today much as it did in the ancient mind and myths. A natural bridge to the fantastic realms where gods watch over mortal lands from sparkling castles on high!
