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The Lighthouse of Alexandria

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The Statue of Zeus

The Temple of Artemis

The Great Pyramid

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About the Authors

Acknowledgements

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The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Statue of Zeus


Introduction History Outcome

History

The architect assigned to the project was a man known as Pheidius, who was considered as the greatest of all sculptors during his time. In order to effectively visualize the statue, he created a workshop that would have the same dimensions as the temple in which the statue was situated. After 5 years, the statue, built from ivory, was completed. When asking for approval from the gods, Pheidius saw a thunderbolt hit the ground. As thunderbolts were the sign of Zeus, Pheidius was pleased with his work.

Many tales have been associated with the statue of Zeus in Olympia. For instance, when Calligula, a roman soldier, captured the temple where the statue was located, his men heard an evil laughter emanating from temple walls as they wandered through the temple. Calligula also heard this laughter, and dreamt about it during the night. The next day, Calligula was killed, and rumors spread that the statue was cursed or that Zeus was dealing his punishment to the invaders.