Greece (2,917 m) – Home of the Olympian Gods
Mount Olympus on the frontier between Thessaly and Macedonia is the tallest mountain in Greece. According to ancient tradition, Olympus was the home of Zeus and others of the Greek deities, and was considered among the most sacred of mountains until the arrival of Christianity displaced the ancient pagan practices.
In ancient Greek myth, the gods fought the titans in an epic battle at the beginning of time for control of the world. When the titans were defeated, the gods established a permanent realm for themselves on Olympus. Nicknamed the Olympians, it is uncertain if the nickname came from the mountain or the if the mountain was named for the Gods. Homer described it as a heavenly paradise.
Mount Olympus has been known since ancient times, and is located close to the Aegean Sea less than fifty miles from Thessalonika and 150 miles north of Athens. Although sacred, it was probably scaled even in pre-Christian days as it is a fairly easy climb. Olympus is climbed by thousands of visitors every year.
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