See Also

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World is a widely known list of seven popular sites of [[classical antiquity]... 

. It was carved by the famed Classical sculptor Phidias Phidias

Phidias, son of Charmides [i], was an ancient [i] Greek [i] sculptor [i] ... 

  circa 435 BC in Olympia Olympia, Greece

Olympia, a sanctuary of ancient Greece [i] in Elis [i], is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games [i] ... 

, Greece Greece

Greece Greece lies at the juncture of Europe [i], Asia [i], and Africa [i]. ... 

. The seated statue occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 40 feet tall. "It seems that if Zeus were to stand up," the geographer Strabo Strabo

Strabo was a historian [i], geographer [i] and philosopher [i]. ... 

 noted early in the 1st century BC, "he would unroof the temple." Zeus Zeus

In Greek mythology [i], Zeus is the highest ranking god [i] among the Olympian gods [i] ... 

 was carved from ivory then covered with gold plating and was seated on a magnificent throne of cedarwood, inlaid with ivory Ivory

Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance that is the bulk of the teeth [i] and tusk [i]s of animals such ... 

, gold Gold

Gold is a highly sought-after precious metal [i] that for many centuries has been used as money [i], a store of value [i] ... 

, ebony Ebony

[i] in the genus [[Diospyros]... 

, and precious stones.

Discussions

  Discussion Features

   Ask a question about 'Statue of Zeus at Olympia'

   Start a new discussion about 'Statue of Zeus at Olympia'

   Answer questions about 'Statue of Zeus at Olympia'

   'Statue of Zeus at Olympia' discussion forum

Timeline

462   Statue of Zeus Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World [i]. ... 

, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World is a widely known list of seven popular sites of [[classical antiquity]... 

, destroyed by fire after being moved to Constantinople Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire [i] and following its fall in 1453 [i], of the O ... 

.



Encyclopedia



The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World is a widely known list of seven popular sites of [[classical antiquity]... 

. It was carved by the famed Classical sculptor Phidias Phidias

Phidias, son of Charmides [i], was an ancient [i] Greek [i] sculptor [i] ... 

  circa 435 BC in Olympia Olympia, Greece

Olympia, a sanctuary of ancient Greece [i] in Elis [i], is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games [i] ... 

, Greece Greece

Greece
Greece lies at the juncture of Europe [i], Asia [i], and Africa [i]. ... 

.

The seated statue occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 40 feet tall. "It seems that if Zeus were to stand up," the geographer Strabo Strabo

Strabo was a historian [i], geographer [i] and philosopher [i]. ... 

 noted early in the 1st century BC, "he would unroof the temple." Zeus Zeus

In Greek mythology [i], Zeus is the highest ranking god [i] among the Olympian gods [i] ... 

 was carved from ivory then covered with gold plating and was seated on a magnificent throne of cedarwood, inlaid with ivory Ivory

Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance that is the bulk of the teeth [i] and tusk [i]s of animals such ... 

, gold Gold

Gold is a highly sought-after precious metal [i] that for many centuries has been used as money [i], a store of value [i] ... 

, ebony Ebony

[i] in the genus [[Diospyros]... 

, and precious stones. In Zeus' right hand there was a small statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, and in his left hand, a shining sceptre on which an eagle Eagle

Eagles are large birds of prey [i] which inhabit mainly the Old World [i], with only two sp ... 

 perched. Visitors like the Roman general Aemilius Paulus, the victor over Macedon Macedon

Macedon or Macedonia was the name of an ancient kingdom in the northern-most part of ancient Greece [i] ... 

, were moved to awe by the godlike majesty and splendor that Phidias had captured.

The circumstances of its eventual destruction are a source of debate: some scholars argue that it perished with the temple in the 5th century AD, others argue that it was carried off to Constantinople Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire [i] and following its fall in 1453 [i], of the O ... 

, where it was destroyed in the great fire of the Lauseion . According to Lucian of Samosata Lucian

Lucian of Samosata was a rhetoric [i]ian and satirist [i], writing in the Greek language [i], not ... 

 in the later second century, "they have laid hands on your person at Olympia, my lord High-Thunderer, and you had not the energy to wake the dogs or call in the neighbours; surely they might have come to the rescue and caught the fellows before they had finished packing up the swag."

Perhaps the greatest discovery in terms of finding out about this wonder came in 1958 with the excavation of the workshop used to create the statue. This has led archaeologists to be able to re-create the technique used to make the great work.

Notes


External links

  • With bibliography


Further reading

  • Richter, Gisela M.A.. 1950. The Sculpture and Sculptors of the Greeks.
  • Schobel, Heinz. 1965. The Ancient Olympic Games
  • Spivey, Nigel, 1996. Understanding Greek Sculpture: Ancient Readings, Modern Meanings. 1996.