Nina Cross, age 12, of Burlington, Vt., for her question:

HOW TALL IS MOUNT OLYMPUS?

Mount Olympus is the loftiest point in Greece. It is 9,570 feet high and can be found on the boundary between Thessaly and Macedonia, near the Aegean Sea. In early Greek mythology, Mount Olympus was believed to have been the home of the gods.

On Mount Olympus' summit were the palaces of the gods, which had been built by Hephaestus, god of metalwork. The entrance to Olympus was through a gate of clouds, protected by the goddesses known as the Seasons. Zeus had his throne on Olympus and the gods feasted on nectar and ambrosia and were serenaded by the Muses.

Early Greeks believed there were 12 major gods and 12 palaces.

Later the Greek people came to believe that Mount Olympus was not a fit home for the gods. It was usually covered with snow and hidden behind fog and clouds. Also, they decided that Olympus was not the exact center of the world as they had once thought.

For these reasons the people began to believe in an imaginary Mount Olympus that was far away in the sky, in a region free from snow and storms and filled with heavenly light.