Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, also statue of Zeus by Phidias statue of the Olympian Zeus and the Olympic Zeus of Phidias called ( ancient Greek: τὸ Ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου Διός, ὁ τοῦ Φειδίου Ζεὺς Ὀλύμπιος, tò agalma tou Olympiou Diós, ho tou Pheidíou Olympian Zeus; latin: Statua Iovis Olympici, rarely Phidiae Statua Iovis Olympici ) was the seated colossal statue of Zeus in 456 BC finished the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. It was created by the sculptor Phidias, and was one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient ".
Description
The Greek travel writer Pausanias gives a detailed description of the statue, after the appearance can be reconstructed but only conditionally. The statue had a height of over 12 meters, was built on an inner framework made of iron, plaster and wood on the inside with gold, ivory and ebony dressed ( Chryselephantin ) and decorated with molded colored glass and precious stones. She showed sitting on a throne of Zeus, who ruled the earth with a lift of his eyebrow. The statue was decorated with reliefs and freestanding sculptures, at the upper end of the throne about with Horae and Charites. The rights held a Nike. in his left hand he had a stick. His hair was long curly, it he wore a laurel wreath. The feet of the god rested on a decorated with figural reliefs stool. Painted barriers from the hand of Panainos kept the visitors at bay.
The statue stood in a basin whose function is unclear. It served either collecting the oil, which was needed for the care of ivory, or served as a water container of the control of humidity.
The statue of Zeus was only from 438 BC, almost twenty years after the end of construction of the temple, created by Phidias, who until his death around 430 BC at this statue, which was his greatest masterpiece, worked.
As was unhappy with the Greeks of those who had not seen the national shrine. Even an irrational creature would shake the sight of Zeus Zeus at Olympia was the last work of the Greek sculptor Phidias, from which came also built using the same technology statue of Athena Parthenos on the Acropolis in Athens. She put the top of the gods with a furrowed eyebrow ( supercilium ) dar. Because with a lifting of the brow of Zeus ruled by ancient faith the world; with a frown he can shake the Olympus. Already the ancient threw Phidias ago, he had violated the rules of right proportion at his statue. The the seated Zeus reached to the temple roof, which he had destroyed, he would have stood.
In the year 40 AD, the Roman emperor Caligula failed the attempt to create the statue to Rome. The further fate of the statue is unknown.
The remains of the Temple of Zeus and the remains of the workshop of Phidias can be seen in Olympia on the spot. A ceramic cup, in the bottom, the words: ΦΕΙΔΙΟΥ ΕΙΜΙ ( Φειδίου εἰμί; Pheidiou eimi " Phidias [ Property] I am" ) are carved, was found in the rubble of the workshop, besides remains of materials and tools.