To top the temple off, sculptures showing the twelve labors of Hercules were put in the temple; six on each end. Though this was a beautiful temple, the Greeks still did not think this temple was worthy for the king of gods. Therefore, a statue of Zeus was placed in the temple. The sculptor chosen for this job was a man named Phidias. The statue was twenty two feet wide and forty feet tall. Zeus was seated on a throne with his head almost touching the ceiling, so, if he stood up, he would un-roof the temple. In Zeus' right hand he held the goddess of victory, Nike. In his left hand is a scepter with every type of metal. Zeus' throne is made out of gold, ebony, and ivory, and has many precious stones in it. Carved in the chair are Greek gods and fantasy animals such as the sphinx. Zeus' skin is ivory and his beard, hair, and robe are made out of gold. Other than the statue, there is very little inside the temple. The Greeks liked the inside of their temples to be simple. The statue of Zeus stayed in Olympia until 225 AD when the Olympics were stopped by Emperor Theodosius I of Rome. Zeus was then moved to the city of Constantinople. It stayed there until it was ruined by fire in 462 AD. Unfortunately, all that scientists have left of the Temple of Zeus are bits and pieces.
Remains of The Temple of Zeus