Statue of Zeus at Olympia

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(PD) Photo: Sanne Smit
Statue of Zeus at Olympia, recreated for the Hermitage Museum


The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was built in the 5th century B.C. by Pheidias and was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.[1]

Olympia in the south of Greece was a sacred site to the ancient Greeks. It was a santuary of Zeus, king of the the Greek pantheon of gods and the site of the Olympic Games, which honoured Zeus. According to tradition the games began in 776 B.C., yet archaeologists have deomstrated there was ritual activity at Olympia pre-dating this, and over the centuries various buildings providing for pilgrims and religious activities were built. One such structure was the Temple of Zeus constructed between 466 B.C. and 456 B.C. (it would have looked something like the Parthenon which still stands in Athens).[2]

References

  1. ↑ Price, Martin J. (1988). "The Statue of Zeus at Olympia", in Peter A. Clayton and Martin J. Price (eds.) The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Routledge. p 62.
  2. ↑ Price, "The Statue of Zeus at Olympia", pp 59–61.
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