Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Colossal statue in Greece
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was a colossal representation of the Greek god that stood inside the Temple of Zeus in Olympia. The seated figure rested on an elaborate throne and held a small Nike figure in one hand while gripping a scepter in the other.
Phidias created this work in the 430s BCE after the temple was finished. In the 5th century CE, it was transported to Constantinople, where it was eventually destroyed by fire.
The name refers to the sanctuary at Olympia, where Greek city-states gathered for religious festivals and athletic games. Zeus was regarded as the supreme god, and this work made his power visible and real to those who worshipped.
The original no longer exists, but ancient coins and written descriptions help reconstruct what it looked like. Visitors to the sanctuary at Olympia can see the temple ruins where this work once stood.
The skin was covered in ivory while the robes were made from thin sheets of gold. Those looking upward saw a god whose head nearly reached the temple ceiling, creating an overpowering sense of the divine.
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