Archaeogaming is a branch of archaeology that deals with video games and archaeology. Despite their ubiquitous nature in society today, video games are very rarely used for archeology and media purposes. Andrew Reinhard coined the term archeogaming in 2013 and since then it has become increasingly popular in archaeological scientific circles.
Assassin's
Creed: Odyssey was released in 2018 as the 11th installment in the
game series"Assassin's Creed," a series of
games based on real history, with science fiction elements. Historian Stéphanie-Anne Ruatta was credited with the coordination of all parts of the game related to the history and historical accuracy through the development studio Ubisoft Quebec. This page is just comparing scenes from the game with how they appear today with Drake Winston as a guide; for my usual history pages featuring Greek sites, see here for Athens/Attica and here for outside Attica.
Similar to other such games, Odyssey was inspired by history. Ancient Greece was one of the most requested regions by fans of the series, and the era of the Peloponnesian War was chosen as the setting because it allowed the team to introduce well-known historical figures such as Socrates, Leonidas and Hippokrates. The works of Herodotus, who was described as the world's first historian, served as an important inspiration and foundation for the team when they were creating the game's world and story. To ensure that the game feels historically authentic, the development team embarked on a ten-day field trip to Greece and visited locations including Sparta, Delphi and Athens. Whilst the team took more than 13,000 photos during the field trip for research, they also made use of the Streetview function of Google Earth to study the Greek ruins. Each region was given a unique visual characteristic. The game's art style intentionally deviated from the popular depiction of ancient Greece, which was often filled with desaturated and monochromatic colours. The team was divided into a world design team and a level design team where one focused on making the world as historically accurate as possible, whilst another team focused on what was most enjoyable for the players. In addition, the team consulted historians in Britain, Canada and Greece.
Athens
Drake in front of the ruins of the Propylaea, the monumental
gateway through which all visitors to the Acropolis pass. Propylaeus
describes to us Pausanias (Paus.1.22.4-7), and were built between 437
and 432 BCE by the architect Mnesiklo. The original design of the
building was innovative from an architectural and artistic point of
view, but it was never completed in its entirety. The architecture of
the building imitated the Great Propylaia
of Eleusis. The northern wing of the Propylaea consists of a room,
known from the description of the traveler Pausanias as the Gallery
(1.22.6), because the room was decorated with paintings, including works
by the painters Polygnotos and Aglaofontos. Also on the north side of
the wing was placed the cult statue of Hermus Propylaeus, protector of
the entrances and the propylaea. In front of it is a small Doric portico
of three columns and the entrance to it was through a door flanked by
two windows. According to some scholars, this room was a resting or
dining area for the visitors of the Acropolis and it is possible that
there were beds inside. The south wing of the Propylaea initially seems
to have been designed similarly to the north, however, the existence of
the earlier sanctuary of Nike forced the architect not to implement the
original plan. For this reason, only one portico was built, in
correspondence with the north, consisting of three columns. From its
western side it was possible to access the temple of Athena Nike. The
version from the game shows the Propylaea relatively faithfully,
although without such details as the bronze lioness statue mentioned by
Plutarch (De Gar. viii) and with stairs missing which formed the
elevation on which the columns were located. The Propylaea was
extensively reconstructed twice from 1909 to 1917 and from 1981 to 2010.
For this reconstruction in 2013 they received the "Europa Nostra"
award.
Drake
taking a selfie in front of the Parthenon, also
called Temple of Athena, a former temple on the Acropolis dedicated to
the goddess Athena, the patron god of Athens. Made of Pentelic marble,
the temple was known for housing the massive statue of Athena made by
the renowned sculptor Phidias. The structure also held the city's and
Delian League's riches during the classical period. Although at first glance the building is faithfully reproduced in the game, some key elements such as the missing gables and the frieze, which is in the game but is not a recreation of reality. When it comes to the gables, it is an element that is repeated on all temples in the game showing a gigantomachy, although it is a combination of different scenes and characters, and it is not a complete scene that we can find somewhere in reality. Characters that can be recognised are Athena, Artemis (which resembles the Versailles Diana) and Heracles (resembling the Heracles from the East pediment of the temple of Afaia in Aegina displayed here in Munich), whilst the wounded warriors in the corners are also modeled after the warriors of the pedimentAfaia in Aegina. In addition, all gables in the game are made of bronze, which is incorrect; the characters could have had bronze details like weapons, but they were not completely made of bronze. It's obviously a development team looked for inspiration in various other gables, and they made one of their own, which they then used for all temples within the game.
On the Parthenon in real life, on the western pediment, there is a competition between Athena and Poseidon as the patron of Attica, whilst the birth of Athena is located on the eastern pediment. Such a misrepresentation seen in the game occurs with the metopes, shown in the game as representing Heracles' labours which are found on Zeus's temple in Olympia instead. Gigantomachy themes appear on the Parthenonv(east), amazonomachy (west), and centauromachy (south), while for the metopes on the north side it is assumed that it showed the fall of Troy. Such theories are based on metopes which have survived, but nothing is certain. Again, the metopes in the game are incorrectly made of bronze. The frieze does not exist in the game and some other aspects were discarded. Instead of its real marble pedimental sculptures, the Parthenon has the same fictional bronze pedimental sculptures depicting the Gigantomachy, the battle between the Giants and the Greek gods in Greek mythology that are also shared by other temples in game. Like many other temples in game, the Parthenon inaccurately has the metopes of the Temple of Zeus in Olympia which show the Labours of Hercules instead of its actual metopes. The central acroterion is based on a reconstruction of the central acroterion of the Parthenon, however, the corner acroteria reuses the model of the Naxian Sphinx.
At
the command of Perikles, the construction of Parthenon began in 447 BCE
when the Athenian Empire was at the peak of its power. It was completed
in 438 BCE, although decoration of the building continued until 432 BCE.
In 429 BCE, whilst the plague was wreaking havoc in Athens, Perikles
made it his mission to come to Parthenon and seek to please the gods.
Instead, in the game, he met his end at the hands of the Cult of Kosmos's enforcer,
Deimos. The worship of Athena continued on for nearly one millennium. 
The Erechtheion was an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis Sanctuary in Athens. The most significant site of worship on the acropolis, the temple was known for its caryatids and was dedicated to the Greek gods Poseidon and Athena. In addition, it was also dedicated to Erechtheus and Kekrops, two legendary kings of Athens, the latter of whom was said to have been buried beneath the portico. The Olive Tree of Athena was located west of the temple. During the Peloponnesian War in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, the temple was visited by the Spartan misthios Kassandra. The Erechtheion is a landmark in the game, situated on the Akropolis Sanctuary. The temple is an anachronism in the game as construction of the temple only began in 421 BCE, a year after the game's conclusion, and completed in 406 BCE. The model of the Porch of the Caryatids was also used in Assassin's Creed: Origins in an unnamed place of worship in the poor district of Alexandria.
Herodotus mentions the buildings on the Acropolis on a couple of occasions, during his visits to Athens between 460 and 440 BCE, mentioning the temple of Erechtheus (viii.55) and the megaron (vi.77) which today is identified with part of the old temple of Athena on the Acropolis. Pausanias (1.26.5) also mentions Eerechtheus, although his description is more devoted to religious actions than the visual appearance of the building itself. Construction of the classical version of Erechtheus which appears in the game lasted between 421 and 406 BCE. However, according to archaeological finds near Erechtheus were supposed to contain the remains of past buildings, which in the game do not exist. The Erechtheum within the game was therefore built a decade too early and is missing in the surrounding area parts of the old temple of Athena, but the building found in the game is a fairly faithful copy of the building that is currently seen on the Acropolis. This includes the painted Caryatids, their number and position almost identical to those in reality. Thus although the existence of this building within the game is an anachronism, it is almost impossible to imagine the Acropolis without it today, and therefore it is understandable why the creators decided to put it in the game.
The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion
Drake at Sounion, first known to us from the Odyssey (iii.278-283). However, in the 5th century BCE Poseidon's sanctuary wasn't located here. Although there was also a smaller temple dedicated to Athena here in 338, it doesn't actually feature in the game. The original archaic temple of Poseidon, which was built of tufa, was probably destroyed in 480 BCE by the Persian troops, during Xerxes I 's invasion of Greece. Although there is no direct evidence of the situation in Sounion at the time, Xerxes had certainly captured the temple of Athena, and everything else on the Acropolis of Athens was razed as punishment for defiance of the Athenians. However, some archaeologists have argued that the archaic temple was destroyed by some other cause; Stais, for example, believes that the collapse of the temple could be due to the force of strong winds blowing in the area or an earthquake. Based on the architectural style of the remains, archaeologists argue that the archaic temple was built around 500 BCE. It is worth noting that the construction of such a luxurious building probably required the receipt of large funds and administrative support from the state of Athens. Given the evidence of advanced organisations devoted to administration and finance, Athens was able to support the construction of such temples.After the Athenians defeated Xerxes at the naval battle of Salamis, they placed an enemy trireme, a warship with three banks of oars, at Sounion as a victory trophy, dedicated to Poseidon.
The temple of Poseidon in Sounion was built in the period between the years 444 - 440 BCE during the era of Pericles. It was built on the ruins of a temple dating back to the Archaic period. The Greek geographer Strabo said the following about the ancient temple of Poseidon: “Geraistos [in Evia]... is conveniently situated for those traveling across Asia to Attica, as it is close to Sounion. It has the sacred temple (hierona) of Poseidon, the most remarkable of them in that place, and also a notable settlement.' The decision to build the temple in Sounion is supposed to be related to the visibility of the temple from the sea routes to and from Piraeus which provided the main advantage of the temple's geographical location. Akrotiri of Souni is located at the beginning of the Myrtoos Pelagos and at the edge of the Argosaronic gulf and thus, the temple can be seen from many different sea links. The temple of Poseidon could also be used as a control centre, since its position has great visibility in the sea around Attica. After the battle with the Persians at Marathon, the Athenians were weakened and vulnerable to naval strikes. Athens at that time faced nearby enemies, such as the island of Aegina, who could take advantage of the decimated Athenian army by attacking by sea. Athens therefore needed a garrison, for which Cape Sounion was the perfect place, since anyone traveling to the coast of Attica had to go round it. Thus, building the temple right next to the sea was a military tactic to secure an outpost in a high traffic area in order to monitor enemy movements.
The temple itself has a standard Doric appearance, with six columns on the front and backsides and thirteen columns on the sides. It is assumed that this temple was built by the same architect who also built the temple of Hephaestus on the Athenian Agora. The metopes of the temple depicted hunting scenes and a centauromachy. Whilst we do not know what was on the gables, one figure has been preserved of an unidentified woman sitting. The temple is relatively well preserved with nine columns on the south and six on the north side with another on the east side. In the game, the temple is located at the very southern end of Attica. As with all other temples represented it has the same composition of the gigantomachy but lacks any metope and is also wrong in giving the temple twelve columns on the sides instead of thirteen. However, the biggest mistake is the fact that the temple in the game is Ionic instead of Doric. The player only visits Sounion in the game to kill one villain.
Delphi
Drake at the foot of the Sacred Road leading to the original sacred precinct. From here it climbed north-east to the terrace of the temple of Apollo, and reached the temple terrace at its south-east corner. From there one reached the temple and altar of Apollon, in the immediate vicinity of which stood the Serpent Column , a votive gift donated by the Greeks after their victory over the Persians. The Sacred Way was lined with anathema and the treasuries built by the Greek cities and poleis to store their offerings. In contrast to the neatly lined up or grouped treasury houses of other sanctuaries like Olympia or Delos the treasury at Delphi was only loosely arranged. Although they were mostly located along the Holy path, they also filled free spaces off this path, occupying the available area unregulated, sometimes occupying special places for reasons of representation, sometimes reacting to existing treasury houses with competing buildings. In between, larger and smaller votive gifts were interspersed, until the decreasing space forced the remaining gaps to be filled. Only thirteen treasury buildings mentioned in ancient tradition - especially by Pausanias , but also by Herodotus , Plutarch , Appian and Strabo - for Delphi are compared to the foundations and building remains of 32 excavated treasury buildings alone in the area of the sanctuary of Apollo which testify to the considerable effort involved in their foundation, which was expressed in the material and building decorations. Ten of the buildings in the Apollon district, mostly from the 6th century BCE have been identified with certainty, partly based on the date, partly on the basis of the pictorial decoration or even, as in the case of Cnidus, the surviving dedicatory inscription. BC, some in the 5th century BC. B.C., last the treasury ofThebes only 346 BC erected.
The oracle in Delphi is located on the western slope of the Parnassus mountain range and has been known of since the 15th century BCE. Apollo's sanctuary, which we understand today by the term "Delphi", was founded perhaps as early as the 8th century BCE whilst the architectural development begins with the construction of the first treasury of the city of Sikyon in 560. The geographical location of the Temple of Apollo was significant in Greek mythology as it was the destination where two eagles, placed at opposite ends of the earth by Zeus, met. This temple was considered an oracle, where Apollo could communicate to humans through the Pythia. The Greeks, their leaders and other foreign leaders journeyed to the temple of Apollo seeking advice from the Pythia, despite misinterpretations often leading to twists in fate. Much like the Olympics today, the site of Delphi hosted the Pythian Games as a dedication to Apollo, in the site's Greek theatre. As well as athletic competitions, the Pythian Games also held poetry, dance and music contests, drawing in spectators and crowds. The presence of the oracle and the Pythian Games, allowed the Athenians to showcase their treasury on an international scale. The game starts at the entrance to the sanctuary complex, the Exedra Arga, which was filled with statues shown with Drake on the right. It was built after 456 in honour of Epigon, the successor of the seven heroes who fought against Thebes, of whom Pausanias writes in x. 10.3-4). It had been constructed to hold twenty bronze statues of kings and heroes of Argos, only ten of which were ever displayed. Just to the west is a rectangular niche which held decrees.The game is is accurate in representing the exact spot within a regular semi-circular shape with the statues in the centre, although the statues themselves are not recognisable. 
Drake in front of the Athenian Treasury. The date of construction is still an issue of controversy; Dinsmoor says that the generally accepted date is after 490 BCE is too late for him. In any case, it is a treasury in the classical style with two columns set between two pilasters. On its two gables it had reliefs. On the facade of the temple (east side) it represented the meeting of two heroes in front of a deity. On the west side it represented battle scenes. Most of these gables are not preserved however. It was located on a podium with steps only on the front side, and contained metopes and gables. The metopes contained three themes: Theseus' exploits, the Amazonomachy and the labours of Heracles. In the game, the treasury is in the same position, but it is slightly lower and the podium has access steps. 
The gables are painted and on them we can see the same representation of the gigantomachy as on all the other gables within the game. The metopes are also repeated and on them are the same tasks of Heracles which we see in all the temples depicted in the game. In reality the Treasury had thirty sculpted metopes around its perimeter with six on the east side and the rear on the west), and nine on the two sides facing north and south. The metopes of the facade depicted scenes from the Battle of the Amazons. On the south side the nine metopes represented the exploits of Theseus, whilst the corresponding metopes on the north side represented the labours of Hercules as shown in the game if not accurately. Two different styles could be distinguished; a more strict and archaic one in the labours of Hercules, and a rather modernist and classical one through the exploits of Theseus. The difference in the subject of the metopes is interesting in that it may refer to the change of government in Athens with the prevalence of Democracy.
The
temple in the game has gables again following the same composition- a
gigantomachy and in the middle of both sides of the temple there is a
large bronze shield. The metopes aren't mentioned by Pausanias, but by
Euripides (Ion , 184-218), who tells us that they showed scenes in which
gods or heroes defeated monsters. In the game however, the same metopes
with Heracles' labours are repeated. Pausanias (10.24.4) tells us and
the interior of the temple. Thus, according to him, there were statues
of Poseidon, two destinies andZeus instead of the third fate, the statue
of Apollo and so on. But in the game there is only a marble statue in
the roomApollo in conflict with a snake, probably Python, whom according
to legend (Hyg. Fabulae ,140) killed in the place where his temple was
located and after which he received the epithet Pythios . Onat the end
of the cell there was a door that led to an additional room (adyton)
into which they were allowedonly prophetesses (pythia) could go, and
there was a golden statue of Apollo (Paus. 10.24.5). This room is not
available to the player during the game, but in educational mode, both
are available premises. But in this forbidden room there are only
treasures and tripods.
Outside
the western side of the temple was a bronze statue of a charioteer with
four horses; a quadriga. The statue collapsed in a rock fall during the
earthquake that destroyed the temple in 373 but remained preserved.
Fragments of a horse and part of a stone pedestal on which the whole
composition was found. According to the inscription on the pedestal, one
can date the composition to the period between 480 and 460 BCE. not
Kočijaš, today famous as The charioteer from Delphi was made entirely of
bronze, and even its colour has been preserved white eyes, brown irises
and black pupils. 
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The gables are painted and on them we can see the same representation of the gigantomachy as on all the other gables within the game. The metopes are also repeated and on them are the same tasks of Heracles which we see in all the temples depicted in the game. In reality the Treasury had thirty sculpted metopes around its perimeter with six on the east side and the rear on the west), and nine on the two sides facing north and south. The metopes of the facade depicted scenes from the Battle of the Amazons. On the south side the nine metopes represented the exploits of Theseus, whilst the corresponding metopes on the north side represented the labours of Hercules as shown in the game if not accurately. Two different styles could be distinguished; a more strict and archaic one in the labours of Hercules, and a rather modernist and classical one through the exploits of Theseus. The difference in the subject of the metopes is interesting in that it may refer to the change of government in Athens with the prevalence of Democracy.
The
largest building in Delphi- the temple of Apollo. The temple had six
stages in its life according to legend as recorded by Pausanias (10.5.9)
In the first phase it was made of wicker, the second phase of wax and
feathers and the third of bronze (Paus. 10.5.11). The fourth phase of
the temple is the first for which we have material remains, but given
that the temple was destroyed in a fire in 548 BCE.we are left with only
fragments of columns and capitals and a few wall blocks. The fifth
stage of the temple is that which is shown in the game. After the fire,
the temple was built in a peripteral hexastyle with fifteen columns on
the sides. In 373 BCE the earthquake that completely destroyed the fifth
phase of the temple saw a new one, the sixth, built. Pausanias gives us
a description of the pediment (10.19.4), and the gables from the sixth
phase of the temple. Reconstructing the gables of the fifth phase
according to archaeological excavations, it is known that Apollo's
arrival to Delphi was located on the eastern gable. In the centre was a
chariot with four horses beside which were Leto and Artemis, whilst at
the ends were lions attacking animals. Little is known about the western
gable, except from a few remains which suggested that it was a
gigantomachy.
The
temple in the game has gables again following the same composition- a
gigantomachy and in the middle of both sides of the temple there is a
large bronze shield. The metopes aren't mentioned by Pausanias, but by
Euripides (Ion , 184-218), who tells us that they showed scenes in which
gods or heroes defeated monsters. In the game however, the same metopes
with Heracles' labours are repeated. Pausanias (10.24.4) tells us and
the interior of the temple. Thus, according to him, there were statues
of Poseidon, two destinies andZeus instead of the third fate, the statue
of Apollo and so on. But in the game there is only a marble statue in
the roomApollo in conflict with a snake, probably Python, whom according
to legend (Hyg. Fabulae ,140) killed in the place where his temple was
located and after which he received the epithet Pythios . Onat the end
of the cell there was a door that led to an additional room (adyton)
into which they were allowedonly prophetesses (pythia) could go, and
there was a golden statue of Apollo (Paus. 10.24.5). This room is not
available to the player during the game, but in educational mode, both
are available premises. But in this forbidden room there are only
treasures and tripods.
Outside
the western side of the temple was a bronze statue of a charioteer with
four horses; a quadriga. The statue collapsed in a rock fall during the
earthquake that destroyed the temple in 373 but remained preserved.
Fragments of a horse and part of a stone pedestal on which the whole
composition was found. According to the inscription on the pedestal, one
can date the composition to the period between 480 and 460 BCE. not
Kočijaš, today famous as The charioteer from Delphi was made entirely of
bronze, and even its colour has been preserved white eyes, brown irises
and black pupils. During
the great earthquake of 373 BC, the violent fall of rocks and earth in
the square of the temple caused the destruction of the archaic temple
and crushed the works of art that were there such as the statue of
Heniochos. 
Hidden
and protected under the earth that covered it for centuries, it managed
to escape destruction from the occasional raids or the systematic
removal of sculptures by the Roman emperors or the destruction that was
the common fate of almost all the bronze works of the sanctuary in later
years. Its excavation in 1896 brought it back to light, almost intact,
with the green patina protecting it from corrosion. Its discovery,
understandably, was accompanied by great excitement, as it was then the
only large-scale classical bronze statue. Along with the bronze parts of
the votive offering, a part of its stone pedestal was also found, in
which a couplet fragment of its metered dedicatory inscription is
preserved. As for the artist of the work and the school to which it
belongs, there is great dichotomy among researchers. It is probably the
work of Pythagoras of Samios, a great coppersmith, exiled during the
Deinomenid period to Rigio in Calabria. According to the sources, the
figures of Pythagoras are characterised by rhythm, symmetry and special
care in rendering details. However, opinions have also been expressed in
favour of Kritias or Kalamis.
Hidden
and protected under the earth that covered it for centuries, it managed
to escape destruction from the occasional raids or the systematic
removal of sculptures by the Roman emperors or the destruction that was
the common fate of almost all the bronze works of the sanctuary in later
years. Its excavation in 1896 brought it back to light, almost intact,
with the green patina protecting it from corrosion. Its discovery,
understandably, was accompanied by great excitement, as it was then the
only large-scale classical bronze statue. Along with the bronze parts of
the votive offering, a part of its stone pedestal was also found, in
which a couplet fragment of its metered dedicatory inscription is
preserved. As for the artist of the work and the school to which it
belongs, there is great dichotomy among researchers. It is probably the
work of Pythagoras of Samios, a great coppersmith, exiled during the
Deinomenid period to Rigio in Calabria. According to the sources, the
figures of Pythagoras are characterised by rhythm, symmetry and special
care in rendering details. However, opinions have also been expressed in
favour of Kritias or Kalamis.The
attention to detail on this statue is remarkable, from the eyelashes,
eyebrows, strands of hair to the veins visible on his limbs, allowing
this
figure to become alive before our eyes and allowed the creators of the
game allowed players to see it from all angles, as it may have once
appeared.
Assassin's Creed's reconstruction of the serpent column built to commemorate the Greeks who fought and defeated the Persians at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE
eventually relocated to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in 324.
This bronze column in the shape of intertwined snakes was created from
melted-down Persian weapons, acquired in the plunder of the Persian
camp, and was erected at Delphi, commemorating all the Greek city-states
that had participated in the battle, listing them on the column, and
thus confirming some of Herodotus's claims. Most of it still survives in
the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Plataea, with Mycale, have great
significance in ancient history as the battles that decisively ended the
second Persian invasion of Greece, thereby swinging the balance of the
Græco-Persian Wars in favour of the Greeks, preventing the Persians from
conquering all of Greece, although they paid a high price by losing
many of their men. Whilst the Battle of Marathon showed that the
Persians could be defeated, and the Battle of Salamis saved Greece from
immediate conquest, Plataea and Mycale effectively ended that threat
even though neither of these battles is nearly as well known as
Thermopylae, Salamis or Marathon. The reason for this discrepancy is not
entirely clear; it might, however, be a result of the circumstances in
which the battle was fought. The fame of Thermopylae certainly lies in
the doomed heroism of the Greeks in the face of overwhelming numbers and
Marathon and Salamis perhaps because they were both fought against the
odds, and in dire strategic situations. Conversely, the Battles of
Plataea and Mycale were both fought from a relative position of Greek
strength, and against lesser odds; the Greeks, in fact, sought out
battle on both occasions.
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North of the Temple of Apollo is the theatre, one of the best preserved to this day inGreece. This theatre presents us with a problem because it was built only in the 4th century which means that in the time of the game (431-422 BC) it should not exist and yet it is depicted in the game in its full glory.
Another view of the theatre looking down towards the temple of Apollo
The last building encountered in Delphi in the game is the tholos. It
appears in the game only briefly, as part of the main mission
"Consulting a Ghost" and in the flashback when Leonida visits Delphi
("Bully the Bullies"). There were in fact two tholos in
the sanctuary of Athena Pronaeus, the earlier and later. The earlier
type was built around 580 BC. not 260 but it was demolished and its
material was used for the construction of the Sikion treasury, i.e. its
foundations around 500 BC. The original position of this tholosa is not
known since all the material was reused, but from the parts found within
the foundations of the Sikion Treasury, it was reconstructed that it
consisted of an outer row of thirteen Doric columns and the inner
circular cell. The second tholos was built in the 4th century BCE
between 390 and 380, and the architect was Theodore of Phocaea.
According to the architectural remains that are still standing today and
archaeological finds, this tholos consisted of an outer row of 20 Doric
columns, with the inner circular whole, inside which there were 10 more
Corinthian columns. On the outside part, there were metopes with scenes
from the Amazonomachy and Centauromachy, while on the inner one part
were metopes with the deeds of Heracles and Theseus. With all this
information in mind, the tholos within the game presents the player with
a certain problem. Firstly, in the period in which the game takes
place, this tholos does not exist having been erected thirty to 40 years
later while the old tholos was demolished approximately seventy years
earlier. This brings one to the next problem, which is its appearance.
The tholos in the game has twelve Doric columns and no pillars within
the cella which would mean that it is the appearance of an older temple
(although one pillar is missing). The tholos lacks metopes entirely.
Furthermore, the tholos is under construction which again, according to
the dating, is inaccurate for both the older and younger type.
Olympia
The
temple of Zeus, at the site of which is Drake Winston, was the largest
temple in the sanctuary of Zeus at
Olympia, where the Olympic Games were held. This was the central building of Olympia and the place where one of the world's wonders of antiquity was located. The sculptures in the
pediments show racing and wrestling, but in mythological contexts; Pausanias gives us a detailed description of the whole of the temple, its metopes, gables and dimensions (5.10.1-10). Here
the subject is a battle between Lapiths and Centaurs, mythical tribes of
northern Greece, which took place at a wedding feast. The Centaurs,
half horse half man, had been invited to the wedding but drank too much
wine and attempted to abduct the Lapith women. In the fight which
followed, Apollo stands calmly at the centre while Peirithoös, the
Lapith king and bridegroom, leads the attack on the Centaurs. Lapith
women watch anxiously from the corners of the pediment. The sculptures
contrast with the much more peaceful scene shown in the pediment on the
other end of the temple. In an act forever recorded in infamy,
Theodosius II infamously ordered the destruction of the temple during
the Christian persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire in 476.
The
temple was founded between 460 and456 BCE, and according to the plan, a
classic hexastyle, Doric temple with six columns was built on the front
and back, and 13 columns on the sides. It is made of limestone with a
layer ofof white pike which was later repainted, while the metopes,
gables and tiles on the roof are made ofParian marble. In the game the
temple visually looks as if it is made of marblewhich may be the
creator's interpretation of the painted pike, but it may also be due to
poor informationcreator. The roof was also made of Parian marble, which
was partially translucentthe interior would be adequately lit. The
temple had one cell, which according to some is on the roof had a big
opening, but some, like Dinsmoor, completely reject the idea. Akroteria
seare divided into two types, on the tops of the gables there were
bronze Nikes (Victoria), while on allthe corners were bronze tripods.The
game's designers put these few details into the temple, but the
only real error mistake is that these Nikes are shown as having been
made of marble or limestone instead of
bronze. The temple also had a
gallery which went around the whole but like the Parthenon, there
is no gallery inside the game. Of the gables and metopes,
Pausanias (5.10.8-9) records how the western side depicts the
fight between Lapiths and centaurs (centauromachy), whilst in the east
is the preparation of Pelops and Oenomaius for their chariot race,
whilst the twelve labours of Heracles are found on the metopes, which is
confirmed by
iarchaeological remains. Unfortunately, the game repeats the same
problem as with all other temples in that on the pediments- instead of a
centauromachy or Pelops and Oenomais, there is a combination of
previously made characters (the same characters already seen on the
Parthenon, only in a different form of combination), whilst on the
metopes the tasks of Heracles (which in this case are partially correct)
some of which are repeated. On the architrave are bronze shields that
are described by Pausanias (5.10.5),
although he says that they were gilded and donated by the Roman general
Mummius in 146 BCE), which does not fit into the period of the game.
Another detail on the architrave which appears to be an artistic freedom
of the game creators are engraved names of sports in the Olympic Games.
The problem with the metopes and their appearance in the game is the
fact that the outer metopes were smooth and bronze shields were placed
on them, whilst representations of Heracles were on the inside (in the
pronaos andopisthodom). In the game, the outer metopes depict the tasks
of Heracles whilst the bronze shields are placed on the architrave. The
entire temple stood on a crepidum, on a raised platform towards which a
ramp went leading to the statue of Zeus.
Drake at the running track at Olympia. The stadium is 697.3 feet in length and 98–112 feet wide, and it served mainly for running races that determined the fastest person in the world. The track was made of hard-packed clay to serve as traction for the contestants in the running events. As in current day athletics, a white block was placed on one end of the track where the athletes would line up to place their feet and got ready to start of the race. The white block was used to align all the athletes so they would all run the same distance. The stadium in Olympia had several phases of life, the first phase, in the 6th century BCE, was open on its western side towards the altar of Zeus. The second phase, which occured by the end of the 6th century or the beginning of the 5th century BCE, moved the stadium 75-76 metres to the east, whilst the third phase relocated the stadium even further to the east it is found today. If one compares the layout and appearance of the stadium within the game, it appears to be precisely within the second phase, which is correct considering the time period within the game.
Drake
in Phidias’s workshop mentioned in Pausanias (5. 15.1). It was
a simple building that was approximately the same height as the temple of Zeus and was the second tallest building in Olympia. Within the workshop area there were also rooms for artists and
craftsmen and galleries. That it was indeed Phidias's workshop is further confirmed
by the abundant amount of moulds, remains of materials and tools found in
the area. Indeed, when the workshop was discovered in 1954, it was
then discovered the significant advancement of knowledge he had with
his work for within were his tools, terracotta moulds and even
evidence of his life there such as a cup inscribed with “I belong to
Phidias. According to Plutarch in his Life of Pericles (89-91), Phidias was accused by Pericles' opponents of stealing gold which was intended for the creation of the statue of Athena Parthenos. However, here the game differs from Plutarch because it follows the fact that his workshop was found in Olympia and that the Olympia statue of Zeus was completed after his supposed death in Athens. In the game the main character receives a task from Pericles which involved escorting Phidias to the port of Piraeus, from where he will flee to Olympia. There Phidias has his workshop, finishes the statue of Zeus, but the main villains of the game find it and kill him. This ending somewhat follows what Philochorus said, namely that Phidias fled to Olympia where, after the completion of the statue of Zeus, he was killed.
Mycenae
Drake at the Lions Gate at the entrance to the Mycenaean citadel, an enclosed area on top of a hill, about fourteen miles away from the sea at almost 300 metres above sea level. Although there was a settlement near the citadel, it's not featured in the game. According to the legend handed down to us by Pausanias (Paus. 2.16.3), Mycenae was founded by Perseus, who, according to one story, had a sword handle (mykes) fall out, which he understood as a sign that a city should be founded here, and was named after him . According to another story, Perseus picked a mushroom (mykes) at the site of Mycenae, from which water flowed that Perseus drank, and named the city after the mushroom. Pausanias (Paus. 2.16. 5) also tells us that Argos destroyed Mycenae, which is dated to 468 BCE, which somewhat corresponds to the situation found in the game by which time Mycenae is abandoned and there are bandits in it. However, all the objects are shown in a slightly better condition in order to give the player the appearance of the Mycenaean citadel. As in reality, the citadel has two entrances: northwest and north At the northwestern entrance is what we call the Lion's Gate, made of massive monoliths, above which there was a relief triangle, on the outside of which there was a relief with two lions, which is also mentioned by Pausanias (Paus. 2.16.5). This entrance is part of the walls of Mycenae which, because of their size, were said to have been created by the so-called cyclopean construction, a term that also comes to us from Pausanias (Paus. 2.16.5). Much of Mycenae was completely buried under layers of earth until rediscovered in the 19th century, but the lion relief remained uncovered.
Immediately after entering the area of the citadel, there is burial circle A on our right. Heinrich Schliemann found it in 1876, and it is a terrace with a circular wall, inside which six tombs were found. The tombs were shaft-shaped, while on the surface they were marked with stone stelae (also known as "trench graves" or shaftgraves). The circular wall was made of segments of three slabs (two on the sides and one connecting them at the top), with a passage leading to the lion's gate. Five tombs were found by Schliemann, while the sixth was found by Panayotis Stamatakis, after Schliemann's departure from Mycenae. Grave circle A in the game is shown somewhat differently than in reality. The walls are correctly made, but the tombs themselves are completely wrong. The centre of the circle is completely open with two corridors leading north and south. This representation is unrealistic because if the tombs looked like this at the end of the 5th century BCE, by the 19th century Schliemann and Stamatakis would have had nothing to find. After Tomb Circle A, the player arrives at the palace, which is the central part of Mycenae in the game.
The game references Agamemnon's tomb. It is a "beehive tomb", of which several are known, but unfortunately only one is shown the game. The tomb consists of a long corridor (dromos), a tholos with a false dome and a smaller, square room. The entrance (stomion) to the tholos is also monumental. At the top is a lintel, above which there is a relief triangle in order to distribute the weight above the lintel itself. The domed room is also said to be in the shape of a beehive and was used for cult activities, whilst the smaller square room served as a burial room for of the deceased. Although this is the only Mycenaean tholos we find in the game, it is not accurate given that the entrance corridor does not exist, the domed room is cut into the living rock, and the smaller room that was supposed to serve as the burial place of the deceased has a hole in the wall that leads to secret underground corridors that are presented to the player as the actual tomb of Agamemnon. Although the situation is better than Knossos, Mycenae also suffers from the creators' desire to impress the player, instead of historical accuracy. Of course they succeed because Mycenae is very fascinating in and of itself, but some basic elements are missing. It should also be noted that the player does not visit Mycenae as part of any mission or task other than that Agamemnon's tomb (or Treasury of Atreus) is visited as part of the mission "Three Symbols Entombed".
