Built: Circa 457 BC

Location: Ancient Greek city of Olympia, on the west coast of modern Greece, about 150 km west of Athens

History:

During 450 BC, a magnificent temple was built in the city of Olympia to honour the god Zeus. Under the growing power of ancient Greece, many considered the Doric-style temple too simple. Therefore, a huge, majestic statue was put into the temple, created by Athenian sculptor Phidias. For a few years afterwards, the temple was visited by worshippers from all over the world.

Later, wealthy Greeks moved the statue to a palace in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey). This move helped prolong the statue’s life, for the temple was damaged by fire, earthquakes, and floods. Even so, a severe fire destroyed the statue in 462 AD.

Today, all that remains in Olympia are the temple’s foundation and the fallen columns.

Description:

The Statue of Zeus was made from ivory and standing 40 feet, it barely fitted in the temple. It had Zeus sitting on a throne, draped in a golden robe. His head nearly touched the ceiling of the temple, and if he were to stand up, he would unroof the building. The base of the statue was about 6.5 m (20 ft) wide and 1 m (3 ft) high. The statue height of 13 m (40 ft) is equivalent to a modern four story building.

The throne was decorated with gold, precious stones, ebony, and ivory. The legs of the throne were ornamented with sphinxes, Greek gods, and other mythical figures. Zeus wore a wreath around his head and wore sandals of gold. His garments were covered with animals and lilies. In his right hand, he held an ivory and gold figure of Victory. In his left, a scepter with an eagle perched on top. The statue was occasionally decorated with gifts from kings and rulers.