Olympus

Olympus (ōlim'pus) [key], Gr. Ólimbos, mountain range, c.25 mi (40 km) long, N Greece, on the border of Thessaly and Macedonia, near the Aegean coast. It rises to c.9,570 ft (2,920 m) at Mt. Olympus, the highest point in Greece. The peak was first ascended in 1913. In Greek mythology the summit, shut from the sight of men on earth by clouds, was the home of the Olympian gods. Later the name Olympus was given to the remote heavenly palace of the gods.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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