Stanhope, John Spencer: Olympia or topography illustrative of the actual state of the plain of Olympia and of the ruins of the city of Elis (London, 1824)

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that I have already trespassed loo long on my readers' patience, on a subject
which to them may be of little interest, though to me it. may appear of
importance. Fortunately however, little as T may be inclined to adopt
M. Ponqueville's theories, they are in general such as will serve to
corroborate what. I have beep endeavouring to maintain ; for there are in his
measurements, and in his conjectures respecting the Hippodrome) variations
from those of M. de Choiseul sufficient to prove that the Hippodrome in its
actual stale, as represented in his plan, is not to be found at Olympia.
Fully prepared to coincide with M. Fauvel, M. Pouqueville visited Olympia
with that gentleman's plan in his hand.

"Guided by these documents," says lie, "and provided with M.
Panvel's plan, T had no dilhenlly in ascertaining the different points. I
found that the Hippodrome instead of being 230 toises (or 1380 feet) in
length, as he states it to be, was 1410 feel. This difference between our
two measurements and those of Pausanias astonished me: I lost no lime
in rectifying an error that might have led me far wrong; the Hippodrome,
enveloped to the north by the chain of Mount Saturn, on the sides of which
the traces of the seats of the spectators may be recognised, is bounded to
the west by atcrracc supported by a brick wall, in which arc formed the
carceres, or stables for the ears: at the southern part of this bank I
remarked the entrance to the course, to the east of which is the barrier;
to the south, I followed the traces of a chaussce, which formed an
intermediate elevation between the Stadium, near the Alphcns, and the
Hippodrome, the eastern extremity of which was terminated by a talus, or