The statue of Olympian Zeus was created in 432 by the very talented ancient Greek sculptor Phidias. The statue was located in the temple of Zeus, in the city of Olympia. And this place was not chosen by chance. It was in Olympia, starting from 776 BC. and continuing until 394 AD. the Olympic Games were held every four years. This place was so sacred to the ancient Greeks that not once in history has any Greek dared to raise his hand against another Greek. At the same time, the Greeks called those unfortunate who had never been to the temple and had not seen the statue of Olympian Zeus.
Creation of the temple
Legends say that the temple of Zeus was magnificent. The temple was under construction for over 10 years. It was a large marble structure with 34 massive shell rock columns. The columns were over 10 meters high and over 2 meters wide. Imagine how gorgeous and majestic the temple of Zeus looked. It could not be otherwise, because it was here that the famous Olympic Games were held between the Greeks, and later the Romans.
Making a statue
The statue of Olympian Zeus in the temple did not appear immediately, but several years later. The temple really lacked the statue, and the decision was made to create it. And the then very famous Greek sculptor Phidias was chosen as the creator of the divine statue.
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At the time when Phidias was invited to create a statue of Zeus, he already created such great statues as the Statue of Athena Promachos and Athena Parafenos, who personified the goddess Athena. Until our time, these statues, as well as the statue of Zeus himself, have not survived.
When creating the statue, Phidias was very picky about the materials that were delivered to him. He found fault with ivory very much, from which, subsequently, he created the body of Zeus. And then 200 kg of the purest gold and precious stones were brought to the feet of Zeus under heavy protection. At today's rates, the gold alone that was used to decorate the statue was worth nearly $ 8 million.
As a result, after the efforts of Phidias, Zeus majestically sat on the throne in a golden cape with the image of animals and lilies. Legs dropped onto a bench supported by lions. In his right hand, the god Zeus held a golden figurine of Nike (goddess of victory), and in his left hand a scepter with an eagle. On the legs of the statue were depicted scenes such as the battle of the Greeks with the Amazons, the exploits of Hercules and Theseus, lapiths and centaurs.
Opening the statue
The inauguration of the statue took place in 435 BC. Phidias did not limit himself to just creating the statue. He also made special effects that exhibited the statue of Olympian Zeus in an even grander form. Namely, a pool was made in front of the statue. Olive oil was added to the water, the stream of light into the temple fell on the oily surface of the water, as a result of which the reflected rays of the sun rushed up and illuminated the head and shoulders of Zeus. Such an illusion was created that Zeus himself shed light on the people who stood at its foot. All influential and noble people of ancient Greece were invited to the opening ceremony, who were shocked by what they saw.
The fate of the statue
As already mentioned, the statue of Olympian Zeus has not survived to this day. In the 5th century A. D. the statue was moved to Constantinople, and as a result burned down in a fire in 476 AD.
Visit to the Temple of Zeus at Olympia
At the moment, when visiting the city of Olympia, you can only see the ruins of the temple of Zeus and the sanctuary of some of the ancient Greek gods. Several statues and Phidias' workshop have also miraculously survived. These statues are on display at the Archaeological Museum, which also houses a painting showing a statue of Olympian Zeus.
The entrance to the museum costs from 6 to 9 euros, depending on which tour you choose. The museum is open from 9:00 to the evening. Although tourists are no longer allowed in at 3 pm (15:00). We also add that from November 1 until the end of March, the entrance to the museum on Sundays is free for everyone.