Knowra Statue of Zeus at Olympia Statue of Zeus at Olympia A colossal ivory-and-gold statue of Zeus by Phidias, erected in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia in the fifth century BCE and counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Chryselephantine sculpture : A Greek sculptural technique combining ivory and gold over a structural core. The statue was a celebrated monumental example of this costly technique.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World : A traditional list of remarkable monuments known to Greek-speaking travelers in antiquity. The statue’s inclusion made it famous beyond Olympia.
Classical Greece : The period of Greek history from roughly 500 to 323 BCE, marked by influential political, artistic, and intellectual developments. The statue was created during this period’s flourishing of monumental art.
Athena Parthenos : A monumental chryselephantine statue of Athena made by Phidias for the Parthenon in Athens. Its shared maker and medium make it the closest surviving comparison in ancient testimony.
Phidias : An Athenian sculptor of the fifth century BCE, associated with major works at Athens and Olympia. Ancient accounts identify him as the statue’s creator.
Description of Greece : A second-century CE travel account by Pausanias describing Greek places, sanctuaries, and monuments. Pausanias gives a detailed surviving description of the statue and its setting.
Ancient Greek temple architecture : The architectural traditions used to design temples for the gods in ancient Greece. The temple’s scale and interior shaped the statue’s placement and visual effect.
Lost works of art : Artworks known through written accounts, copies, fragments, or archaeological evidence but no longer extant. No confirmed remains of the Zeus statue survive.
Temple of Zeus at Olympia : A monumental Doric temple in the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, completed in the fifth century BCE. The statue stood inside this temple’s cella.
Olympic Games : Athletic festivals held at Olympia in honor of Zeus, traditionally beginning in 776 BCE. Visitors to the sanctuary encountered the statue alongside the festival’s religious ceremonies.
Show all 20