Residents were considered unhappy Ancient Greece Who hasn't seen this statue of Zeus in Olympia. Antipater of Sidon included the main decoration of the Temple of Zeus in the 3rd century BC to the list of 7 wonders of the world. The most memorable work of the sculptor Fidia shocked all his contemporaries who saw it.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia. Story
The author of the statue was the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias. To create the main statue of Greece, it was even necessary to build a special room corresponding to the size of the temple. The student Kolot and brother Panen helped in the process of creating the statue. The statue of Zeus appeared before the public in 435 BC. According to the stories, Phidias personally monitored the reaction of the people who came, surprised by the greatness of the Thunderer. There was even an opinion that Zeus himself personally went down to the sculptor to pose. So the main religious center of Greece acquired another attraction.
Throughout its existence, the statue was restored several times. The statue of Zeus in Greece was damaged by lightning, earthquakes, and there were cases of theft of its gold parts. Special attention the Romans gave it to her. So Emperor Caligula in 40 was going to bring to Rome sculptures and images of all significant monuments conquered Greece, the statue of Zeus also fell under this list. But according to legend, during the work the statue burst out laughing, and everyone fled in wild fear, but the statue still remained in Olympia. IN last time it is mentioned in 363 AD. After the adoption of Christianity in 391, all pagan temples were closed and the Temple of Zeus was destroyed. There are references that the statue of Zeus was transported to Constantinople somewhere at the beginning of the 5th century, where, according to the Byzantine historian Kedren, it was completely destroyed in a fire in 475.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia. Brief description
The statue was covered with a huge woolen curtain, dyed Phoenician purple. The curtain, contrary to all established traditions, did not move apart or rise, but rather fell down on ropes, revealing the majestic image of Zeus to the view of the temple visitor.
The statue of Olympian Zeus was made of gold and ivory, using the so-called chrysoelephantine technique. To decorate the statue, 200 kilograms of pure gold were brought. According to the description of contemporaries, Zeus sat on a throne, his head was decorated with a wreath, right hand he held the goddess of victory Nike, in his left - a scepter crowned with an eagle. Zeus' cloak was decorated with images of animals and flowers. Zeus's feet rested on the bench. The throne stood on a huge pedestal - 9.5 by 6.5 meters.
Special attention was paid to decorating the throne of the wonder of the world, the statue of Zeus in Olympia. It was made of ebony, gold, ivory and precious stones. The throne was abundantly filled with images of scenes ancient greek mythology. Each leg of the throne contained four Nikes; on the crossbars between the legs scenes of the war between the Greeks and the Amazons were depicted. sports competitions. The throne was painted by Phidias's brother, the artist Panenom. The scenes contain images of the famous Hercules, Theseus, Prometheus, Achilles, Apollo, Artemis, Helios, Hera, Hermes, Aphrodite, Athena, Poseidon. Of course, Zeus himself is personally present among these paintings.
But what was most striking, of course, was the size of the statue of Zeus in Ancient Greece. Right palm was at the height of the columns of the first tier of the temple, the head was at the level of the second tier. Strabo even got the impression that if Zeus had risen from his throne, the roof of the temple would have been broken. According to modern opinions, the total height of the statue is estimated at between 12 meters and 17 meters.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia. Interesting facts
To preserve the ivory, the priests anointed the statue with oil. This protected her from the “swampy air.” In the Athenian Acropolis, on the contrary, due to the dry air, the statue of Athena was moistened with water. The floor of the statue was covered with black marble with an artificial depression, similar to a pool, into which oil flowed. Another purpose for the pool was associated with the illusion of light - the light from the door reflected from the oil and illuminated the head and shoulders of the statue, creating the impression that it was God who was emitting light to people.
The statue of Zeus at Olympia was created Greek sculptor Phidias in 432 BC in what is now Greece. This place was not chosen by chance - it was in Olympia, in the Temple of Zeus, that the Olympic Games were held annually
Naturally, the temple had to correspond to the scale and scope with which the games were held. According to tradition and legend, he was magnificent, exceeding all the expectations of the inhabitants of Olympia. Marble was chosen as the main material for the construction of the temple; it was surrounded by 34 powerful columns, 10 meters high and more than 2 meters wide. Inside the temple was decorated with huge slabs depicting the 12 labors of Hercules. Height of massive entrance doors was 10 meters. The construction of the Temple of Zeus took more than 10 years. But there was one drawback - there was no worthy statue of Zeus in the temple. It was decided to correct this deficiency. commissioning the creation of a statue of Zeus famous sculptor Phidias 
Especially for the construction of the statue, a workshop was built 80 meters from the temple, ideally corresponding to the size of the temple. The work was carried out very carefully and hidden from prying eyes. The god's body was made of ivory and decorated precious stones and 200 kilograms of pure gold. Thanks to the special pink ivory, Zeus's body seemed alive and looked very realistic 
Part of the Thunderer's body was covered with a cape decorated with gold, and in his left hand he held a scepter with an eagle, decorated with precious stones. The base of the statue was 6 meters long and a meter high. The total height of the statue is 17 meters. The unveiling of the statue was a significant event in the life of Olympia, and the most influential people Greece. The sculpture looked majestic. it was as if God had personally descended from heaven and sat before the enthusiastic people. In front of the monument, a special pool was dug, where olive oil was poured over the water, reflecting the sun's rays in a special way. 
For more than seven centuries, Zeus sat majestically in his temple, until he was severely damaged by an earthquake in the 2nd century AD. Nevertheless, the Olympic Games continued until they were banned in 394 by Emperor Theodosius I, who considered them a pagan cult. After this, the gradual decline of both the temple and the statue of Zeus itself began. Thieves stole gold, precious stones and even ivory. In an attempt to save the statue, it was taken to Constantinople, where it burned down during a strong fire. 
The biggest discovery of our days related to the Temple of Zeus was made in 1954. During the excavations, the aforementioned workshop of Phidias was discovered, where he created the statue. Many tools and personal belongings of the sculptor were found, which allowed scientists to partially recreate the construction process of the third wonder of the world and its date 
You will probably be interested in reading about other ancient wonders of the world, for example about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes or the mausoleum at Halicarnassus. In conclusion, it is worth adding that the Lincoln Memorial in Washington was made according to similar project, and replicates the Temple of Zeus, except that the statue of the god of gods was several times larger than the statue of the president. You can see the similarities for yourself: 
In the following ten-minute video you can also learn about many interesting facts from the history of the majestic statue. Teach English language:)
The statue of Zeus at Olympia is the only one of the 7 wonders of the world located in Europe. Today, an archaeological museum has been created on the territory where the Temple of Olympian Zeus was located.
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Temple of Zeus, Olympia (Sarah Murray) Ruins of the Temple of Zeus, Olympia (Roy L) Temple of Zeus at Olympia (Ronny Siegel) Ruins of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia (DAVID HOLT) Pillars of the Temple of Zeus that fell after an earthquake in the 5th century (Davida De La Harpe) Temple of Zeus (Sarah Murray) Sarah Murray Inside the Museum (Sarah Murray) Inside the Museum (Sarah Murray) Davida De La Harpe Institute for the Study of the Ancient World Sarah Murray
Olympia is a small Greek town, or rather even a village, located on the Peloponnesian Peninsula, 150 km away. west of Athens. This is a kind of service center for the archaeological site and museum complexes. And a couple of centuries ago, Olympia was the main religious and cultural center Hellas. The modern city is not very attractive, but its history and archaeological sites attract thousands of tourists every year.
Ancient Hellas - the cradle European civilization. Science, democracy, culture and the arts were born here. It was here, on the Peloponnesian Peninsula in Olympia, that the fourth wonder of the world was once located - the statue of Olympian Zeus. The approximate date of creation of the “miracle” is the 5th century. BC Author - greatest sculptor ancient world Phidias.
Olympia in the Hellenic era was in many ways inferior to the greatness of Athens, but it was precisely it that was the center of the religious life of Hellas and the birthplace of ancient games. The Olympic Games, which had a long history, were invariably dedicated to the supreme god of Olympus - Zeus.
In 410 BC. The “experience” of the Olympic competitions held in honor of Zeus has already passed the three-hundred-year mark, and throughout Attica not a single significant temple has yet been erected where honors were offered to the main deity of Hellas. In order to avoid the wrath of the heavenly ruler, a collection of donations was announced for the construction of the sanctuary.
The role Zeus played in Olympia is evidenced by the fact that the Olympians did not skimp on their beloved god: built in as soon as possible The temple impressed with its grandeur and wealth. During its construction the most expensive materials– marble and shell rock.
The size of the structure matched the greatness of Zeus: the total area of the temple was 1728 square meters. m., the height reached 10.6 m. The author of the project was the architect Libon.
Above the finishing and interior decoration the sanctuaries were working the best masters era: the outer walls were decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the 12 labors of Hercules, the interior was decorated with mosaics and abounded in gold.
Temple of Zeus at Olympia (Ronny Siegel)
Temple of Zeus at Olympia: the making of a shrine
The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was one of the most significant shrines of ancient Hellas.
The structure was erected in 471 - 456. BC and dedicated to the victory over the Persians, during which considerable trophies were obtained. It was they who went to build the temple. Ordinary citizens of Olympia also took part in the construction of the sanctuary to their beloved deity, donating their personal funds.
Ruins of the Temple of Zeus, Olympia (Sarah Murray)
The author of the project is the Eleanian architect Libo. The building, according to a number of historians, belongs to the Early Classical temples of the Doric style. It was the largest Doric structure in the entire Peloponnese, and it is this in a classic way pan-Greek style.
The temple was a structure of 6 columns arranged in width and 13 along the length of the base.
Main building material there was marble and shell rock. The structure reached 22 m in height, and at the base it was a regular rectangle 27x64 m.
The pediments of the temple were decorated with group sculptural compositions. Thus, the entrance to the sanctuary - the cella - was decorated with friezes with metopes depicting the 12 labors of the beloved Greek hero - Hercules.
Temple of Zeus (Sarah Murray)
The western part was dedicated to the battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs (the author was the Athenian sculptor Alkamen), the eastern part narrated the preparation for the chariot competitions of Pelops, from which the name of the Peloponnese peninsula came, and Oenomaus (the author was the Maid master Paeonius).
However, first of all, the Temple of Olympian Zeus was not known for its architectural appearance, and its “ruler” is a statue of the Thunder God, the work of the famous Athenian master Phidias. The sculpture is also called the Seventh Wonder of the Ancient World.
The history of the sanctuary was short. In 406 AD it was destroyed by order of the Byzantine ruler Theodosius II, who fought against pagan cults. And in 522 and 551, during strong earthquakes, the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was completely lost.
Statue of Olympian Zeus: author of the sculpture
The temple for Zeus in Olympia was built in ten years, but not during its construction, nor a few years later, it never found its “owner” - the Greeks took a long time to determine the master worthy of embodying the image of the god in a statue.
In the end, the choice fell on Phidias, a famous creator from Athens, who embodied almost the entire pantheon of gods in stone, including the famous Athena Parthenos for the Parthenon.
Statue of Jupiter - the ancient Roman god of thunder. Hermitage,
Saint Petersburg
Phidias approached the matter in detail - he demanded to build a workshop near the sanctuary, which was similar in size to the temple, he demanded the best samples of ivory and 200 kg. gold.
He was helped in his work by his student Kolot and brother Panen, summoned from Athens. The sculpture of the supreme god, like most of the master’s works, was executed in the chrysoelephantine technique - it was based on a wooden frame, which was covered with the thinnest plates of elephant bone and gold.
All work was carried out in the strictest secrecy. The sculptor hid the statue of Zeus from prying eyes behind a curtain, which is why ordinary people decided that the god himself was coming down to pose for the master.
The result was stunning. The Olympian ruler, seated on a throne, appeared before the audience. He was dressed in golden robes, his hands held a scepter with an eagle and a symbol of victory - winged goddess Nick. The forehead was crowned with a crown of golden olive leaves. The base of the throne was decorated with images of gods and mythological scenes.
The height of the sculptural composition was, according to various sources, from 12 to 17 m. Everyone entering the sanctuary had the impression that Zeus, if he wanted to get up, could tear down the roof of the temple.
For an additional effect of the animation of the statue, Phidias ordered a pool of water, covered with a thin film of oil, to be placed at the feet of Zeus. The glare of light reflected from the oily water illuminated the giant's head and shoulders with a glow. As a result optical illusion, people believed that God's grace emanated from the monument.
So the statue of Zeus in Olympia became a place of pilgrimage - everyone wanted to see the god with their own eyes.
The fate of a masterpiece
The statue of Zeus at Olympia was opened to the public in 435 BC, but the monument has not survived to this day. Sculptural composition was destroyed several times.
View of the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, Olympia (Roy L)
The first serious damage occurred during an earthquake that occurred in the 2nd century. BC The restoration was entrusted to the sculptor Dimophon of Messenes.
Due to the fact that the sculpture was made using the chrysoelephantine technique, it was possible to quickly put it in order by replacing several damaged plates.
There is information that the further integrity of the masterpiece was threatened by the whim of the Roman Emperor Caligula, who wanted to put it on his shoulders greek god the face of one of the Roman deities, and thus trample the religious feelings of the oppressed people.
There is also information that the monument to Zeus in Olympia was significantly damaged during civil unrest in the 2nd century. AD
Study of the Ancient World
The final destruction of the monument began in 391 AD. The Romans, who established as official religion Christianity, hastened to close all the bastions of paganism in the Greek territory under their control.
All the gold parts were removed from the statue of Zeus, and it itself was gradually destroyed. The latest information about the statue dates back to the 5th century.
According to a number of sources, the sculpture of Zeus was transported from Olympia to Constantinople, where it was lost during a fire. According to another version, the statue remained on Greek soil and burned down along with the temple.
The fate of Phidias - the author of the statue of Olympian Zeus
The fate of the master who gave the world one of the wonders of the world was also deplorable. According to some information, Phidias never returned to Athens.
He was accused of embezzling gold intended for a statue of Zeus. However, the master quickly proved his innocence by removing all the gold elements from the sculpture and weighing them. Soon he was again accused, this time of disrespect for the gods, including the supreme Olympian god Zeus, and thrown into prison.
There is also a version that Phidias, 6-7 years after the construction of the statue, was forgotten by society, eked out a miserable existence and died far from his native Athens.
Modernity: Archaeological Museum
The statue of Zeus at Olympia is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World located on the European mainland. Until the end of the 19th century. the existence of the sculpture was known only from the descriptions of ancient Greek historians.
Scientists from all over the world have long tried to find material evidence of the existence man-made miracle, and only in 1857 were the remains of the sanctuary of the Olympian god found.
Inside the Museum (Sarah Murray)
In 1954 – 1958 Archaeological excavations resumed not far from the temple, as a result of which it was possible to discover the workshop of an Athenian master and his tools with which he processed ivory and gold.
A bowl with the inscription “I belong to Phidias” was also found here.
Today, on the territory where the statue of Olympian Zeus once sat, there is an archaeological museum. It contains rare exhibits that were once in the temple - 3-meter figures from the pediments of the temple, mosaic elements, parts of sculptures of other deities, surviving works of Phidias, etc.
The museum also displays an artistic canvas depicting the statue of the Thunderer, a lost wonder of the world. The painting is a kind of creative reconstruction of the sculpture, which was based on descriptions of ancient Greek historians and the statue of Zeus itself in Olympia - a small marble copy of the work of an unknown author of the 1st century. AD, located in the Hermitage.
Three-meter marble Zeus Olympian was found during archaeological excavations in Rome and sold to late XIX V. a ruined Italian collector to a Russian museum. Many scientists suggest that the copy of the lost wonder of the world very accurately reproduces the original.
The statue of Zeus at Olympia is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that was located on the European mainland and was the second wonder of the world in ancient world. The statue was created in the 5th century BC. e. and was distinguished by huge proportions. The temple, which housed the marble "Zeus", was the largest temple of that time. The huge roof (27 by 64 m) was supported by 34 columns made of shell rock, each of which rose 10.6 meters.
On the marble pediment of the sanctuary scenes from ancient Greek myths were depicted, in which the supreme Olympian god. According to legends that have come down to us from antiquity, the entire temple was built from beautiful marble.
By that time, the Olympic Games had been held for more than 300 years. Despite their enormous popularity and their patronage by Zeus, in all of Hellas there was no main sanctuary in honor of the thunder god. Only in 470 did the Greek people begin to raise money to build a temple to their supreme deity.
The talented ancient Greek sculptor and architect Phidias began to create the famous statue of the Thunderer. Despite the fact that the temple itself took more than 10 years to build, the statue of Zeus did not appear in it immediately. As soon as work on the construction of the sanctuary began, by order of Phidias, a special workshop was built not far from the construction site, which exactly corresponded to all the sizes and proportions of the future temple. Here, behind a huge curtain, the most talented sculptor created his greatest masterpiece. According to eyewitnesses, the sculptor was quite demanding in relation to the material that was brought to him. Shortly before the end of the work, more than 200 kilograms of gold and precious stones were brought to him under heavy military escort.
The statue of Olympian Zeus was made using the chrysoelephthine technique. Its essence was that ivory plates were glued onto a frame made of wood, which conveyed the texture of a naked body. The hair, weapons and clothing of the statue were made of gold plates and inlaid with precious stones.
When Phidias finished work on his work, a majestic statue appeared before the stunned fans of Zeus. The Thunder God sat on an elegant throne. In his left hand he held a scepter, and in his right hand a statue of the goddess Nike (Victory). Zeus's feet rested on a small bench, which was supported by two lions. The dancing goddesses Nike were depicted on the four legs of the throne. The height of the statue, according to various sources, ranged from 12 to 17 meters. For your information, the deity’s eyes were the size of an adult’s fist. The statue was inaugurated in 435 BC. e. and stood for almost 900 years. It was destroyed by fire in the 5th century AD. e.
Antique city Dion
Narrating about the divine love of Zeus for Fie, the daughter of the destroyer of the Greeks Deucalion, Geosides says that the girl became pregnant by the god and bore him two sons, Macedon and Magnet. They lived near Olympus in Pieria. The sacred site of Zeus in these lands was Dion in the foothills of Olympus. Ancient Dion, it was first mentioned by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, when describing the route of the campaign of the Spartan commander Brasidas, through Thessaly, to the country of his ally, King Perdicus 2. This was the first city that Brasidas met on the way, crossing the border in the summer of 424 BC n. e.
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The statue of Zeus is the third wonder of the world, which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. It was located in Olympia - an ancient Greek city, 150 km west of Athens. The city was famous for hosting the Olympic Games. Competitions began to be held in the 7th century BC, but then they were of a small-scale nature. Over time, the news of competitions between men for strength and agility spread across many countries, and representatives from Egypt, Syria, and Sicily began to come to Olympia. The games acquired a political character, and to emphasize their importance, it was decided to build a temple to the main god Zeus and create his statue.
First, the temple was built; the talented Lebon worked on its construction for more than 15 years. The structure was reminiscent of the Greek sanctuaries of that time, only it was much larger and more luxurious. The length of the Temple of Zeus was 64 m, width - 28 m, and height - 20 m. Its roof was supported by 13 huge 10-meter columns. But still, one sanctuary was not enough for the Greeks; they wanted Zeus himself to be present at their Olympic Games ah, so it was decided to create a statue of him.
The statue of Olympian Zeus is the creation of the Athenian sculptor Phidias. According to surviving eyewitness accounts, its height was about 15 m, which is why it barely fit into the temple. It seemed that if Zeus rose from the throne, his head would hit the ceiling. The figure of the Thunderer was carved from wood. Then Phidias attached slabs of pink ivory to the wooden frame, so the body of the god seemed alive. The beard, cloak, scepter with an eagle and the figurine of Nike were cast from pure gold. The wreath of olive branches that adorns the head of Zeus was also created from this precious metal. The creation of the sculpture took more than 200 kg of gold, which is almost 9 million dollars.
The statue of Zeus at Olympia was such a unique masterpiece at that time that news of it spread to many countries, and people from nearby states came to see this magnificence. God looked so natural that it seemed as if he was about to get up. According to the legend, after Phidias finished working on the statue, he asked: “Zeus, are you satisfied?” At the same time thunder struck, and the Greeks took this sign as a satisfactory answer.
For seven centuries, the statue of Zeus smiled favorably on all participants in the Olympic Games. In 391 AD the temple was closed by the Romans, who converted to Christianity at that time. Theodosius I, who was a Christian, had a negative attitude towards everything connected with paganism; he banned competitions and the worship of Zeus.
The statue of Zeus was plundered at that time, and what was left of it was sent to Constantinople. But the sculpture was not destined to survive; there it was completely burned down during a fire. The remains of the temple were discovered in 1875, and in 1950 archaeologists were lucky enough to find the workshop of the brilliant sculptor Phidias. These places were carefully examined, as a result of which scientists were able to find out what the statue of Zeus looked like, as well as revive the temple of the Thunderer itself.