Mount
Olympus
Olympus was the
residence of the divine family, the twelve most important ruling
gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, who therefore were called the
Olympians. There they all lived together in an enormous palace,
high above the clouds. Olympus is generally identified with Mount
Olympus in Thessaly, which is the highest mountain in Greece, but
very often it is identified also as some mysterious region far
above the earth.
It is written
that Zeus talks to the gods from "the topmost peak of many-ridged
Olympus," and only a little later he says that if he willed he
could hang the earth and sea from a pinnacle of Olympus, clearly
not a mountain. In either case, Olympus is not the equivalent of
heaven. According to the writer Homer, Poseidon says that he rules
the sea, Hades the dead, Zeus the heavens, but Olympus is common to
all three.
The entrance
to Olympus was a great gate of clouds, kept by the Seasons. Within
were the god's dwellings where they lived and slept and held court.
In its great halls they feasted on ambrosia and nectar and were
entertained by Apollo's lyre, the Graces and the Muses.
The deities
who did not live on Olympus, such as the gods of the Underworld,
the earth or the sea, would arrive when summoned by
Zeus.
The builders
of the palace at Olympus were the Cyclopes, gigantic one-eyed
Titans who were freed by Zeus from Tartarus and in thanks gave him
his famous thunderbolts. Hephaestus, the talented god of the smiths
and the forge created all the furnishings and artwork on Olympus,
even making some of the chairs and tables able to move themselves
in and out of the celestial hall.
The private
quarters of King Zeus and his wife Hera were located at the
southern end of Olympus and overlooked the famous Greek cities of
Athens, Thebes, Sparta, Corinth, Argos and Mycanae. At the northern
end of the palace, facing the wild hills of Macedonia, were found
the kitchen, banquet hall, armory, workshops and the servants'
quarters.
In between
was a square court, open to the sky, with private rooms on either
side belonging to the other five Olympian gods and five Olympian
goddesses. Past the kitchen and servants' quarters were situated
cottages for lesser gods, as well as the stables, chariot sheds,
dog kennels and the Olympians' private zoo, where the deities kept
their sacred animals.
Zeus held
court at Olympus seated on an enormous throne of polished black
Egyptian marble, adorned with gold. Each of the seven steps leading
up to it were enameled with one of the colors of the rainbow. A
bright blue covering above symbolized that the whole sky belonged
to Zeus alone. A ruby-eyed golden eagle perched on the right arm of
his throne and a purple ram's fleece covered the cold seat. Zeus
used this fleece for magical rainmaking in times of
drought.
Queen Hera's
throne was made of ivory, with three crystal steps leading up to
it. Willow leaves and golden cuckoos decorated the back, and a full
moon hung above it. Hera's seat cushion was a white cow skin, which
she used to make rain when Zeus was too busy or couldn't be
bothered to end droughts.
Zeus and
Hera's thrones faced down the Council Hall towards the door leading
into the open courtyard. Along the sides of the hall stood ten
other thrones, five on each side, each one belonging to the other
ten main Olympians.
This cache is a preform tube hidden
just off the Burnham Centennial nature trail. Just be mindful of
all the runners and walkers on the trail and at the right time of
day there will be plenty of deer to see as well. There is no need
to leave the woods to retrieve this cache. This cache contains
partial coordinates for
Battle of Olympus #12 - Apollo. You will need these to continue
your journey.
