Ancient Stadium of Rhodes

The Ancient Stadium of Rhodes stretches out in a long, narrow rectangle carved directly into the western slope of Monte Smith. Its limestone track measures roughly two hundred yards, exactly the distance of a traditional stadion race. This site once hosted the athletic competitions of the Halieia festival, held in honor of the sun god Helios. During the Roman period, a young athlete named Diagoras famously watched his two sons win Olympic crowns here before they carried him around the track on their shoulders.