Olympus

Peaks of Mount Olympus seen from the blue route, Olympus National Park, Greece.

Olympus (Όλυμπος) is Greece’s highest mountain.

Quotes on Olympus:

• The Olympus mountains and Kìssavo contend with each other, | which of the two will make it rain or snow. | Kissavo sends rain and Olympus sends snow; | Kissavo then turns towards Olympus and says: | "You whom the Turks trample on, you must not blame me. | I am Mount Kìssavo, famous in Làrissa, | dear to the agàof Làrissa, to all the Albanians". | He turns towards Kìssavo the Olympus and replies: | "O Kìssavo shame on you, slave of the Albanians, | trampled by the Turks and the agàof Làrissa, | I am the old Olympus, famous throughout the world, | I have sixty-two peaks, forty monasteries , | on every hill a church, on every peak a spring | and in winter the kléftesthey stay in my refuges. | But when the buds open in spring, | they then fill the mountains in great numbers | and the prisoners crowd their hiding places." (Greek folk song)

Note:

• ῥῖψε ποδὸς τεταγὼν ἀπὸ βηλοῦ θεσπεσίοιο "he [Zeus] caught me [Hepahistos] by the foot and flung me from the heavenly threshold." (trans. Butler C.E.1898). In early modern literature, the name became associated with that of Belus, the legendary Assyrian king (from Assyro-Babylonian bel "lord, master"); see e.g. Algernon Herbert, Nimrod; a discourse upon certain passages of history and fable (C.E.1826) p. 67.
• Olympus National Park is protected by special legislation. The following legislative decrees apply to offenders of the law: Legislative Decree 86/1969, Legislative Decree 996/1971, and Laws 177/1975, 998/1979, 1650/1986, 2742/1999 and 3044/2002.