![Picture](/uploads/9/8/1/4/98143256/zeus-2-001_1_orig.png)
Olympia was a religious center and the location for many religious festivals and activities. It was a holy place with temples, monuments, and statues. Citizens of Greece would travel to Olympia and honour and worship Zeus, the king of the gods. Part of the festivities were athletic events that came to be known as the Olympic Games. But the purposes of the festivals was not the games and contests; it was the worship of Zeus, the Greeks’ protector and ruler.
Over the years, the festivals became bigger and grander. Larger temples and monuments were built, and then in the fifth century B.C.E., a temple was built to honour Zeus. The temple was over 210 feet long and 60 feet high. There were 13 large columns on either side of the temple and six columns in the front and back. These columns supported a white marble roof. The exterior of the temple was painted and ornately decorated with sculptures depicting scenes out of Greek mythology. The interior was simple and unadorned. However, the statue of Zeus that was eventually erected inside was probably the most famous statue in the ancient world.
The Greek sculptor Phidias of Athens was to be the creator of this majestic sculpture. Phidias was a friend of Pericles, the ruler of Athens, and had been involved in building temples and statues in Athens. He was considered the best sculptor in Athens. Part of his fame was a result of the 40-foot, gold and ivory statue of Athena he had created to be placed in the Parthenon. Phidias was an obvious choice to build the statue of Zeus that would match the splendor of this remarkable temple.
Phidias depicted Zeus sitting on an elaborately carved wooden throne inset with ivory, gold, ebony, and precious stones. His feet were resting on a golden footstool. In his right hand, Zeus held a small statue of Nike, the goddess of victory. In his left hand he held a scepter with an eagle on top, which represented the power of Zeus. The construction of the Statue of Zeus was likely similar to that used to produce the statue of Athena. First a framework of wood was made and then covered by plates of ivory for his skin. His clothing, beard, and hair were made of gold. His eyes were made of precious gems.
The size and lavish beauty of the statue of Zeus at Olympia was a wonder to everyone who saw it. Even enemies who invaded Greece were in awe of the statue, which remained intact for many centuries. In C.E. 394 the statue was taken to Constantinople and was eventually destroyed by fire. The temple that housed the statue of Zeus was destroyed by an earthquake in the sixth century.
Over the years, the festivals became bigger and grander. Larger temples and monuments were built, and then in the fifth century B.C.E., a temple was built to honour Zeus. The temple was over 210 feet long and 60 feet high. There were 13 large columns on either side of the temple and six columns in the front and back. These columns supported a white marble roof. The exterior of the temple was painted and ornately decorated with sculptures depicting scenes out of Greek mythology. The interior was simple and unadorned. However, the statue of Zeus that was eventually erected inside was probably the most famous statue in the ancient world.
The Greek sculptor Phidias of Athens was to be the creator of this majestic sculpture. Phidias was a friend of Pericles, the ruler of Athens, and had been involved in building temples and statues in Athens. He was considered the best sculptor in Athens. Part of his fame was a result of the 40-foot, gold and ivory statue of Athena he had created to be placed in the Parthenon. Phidias was an obvious choice to build the statue of Zeus that would match the splendor of this remarkable temple.
Phidias depicted Zeus sitting on an elaborately carved wooden throne inset with ivory, gold, ebony, and precious stones. His feet were resting on a golden footstool. In his right hand, Zeus held a small statue of Nike, the goddess of victory. In his left hand he held a scepter with an eagle on top, which represented the power of Zeus. The construction of the Statue of Zeus was likely similar to that used to produce the statue of Athena. First a framework of wood was made and then covered by plates of ivory for his skin. His clothing, beard, and hair were made of gold. His eyes were made of precious gems.
The size and lavish beauty of the statue of Zeus at Olympia was a wonder to everyone who saw it. Even enemies who invaded Greece were in awe of the statue, which remained intact for many centuries. In C.E. 394 the statue was taken to Constantinople and was eventually destroyed by fire. The temple that housed the statue of Zeus was destroyed by an earthquake in the sixth century.
Assignment:
For this wonder, you will need to return to Google Classroom and complete the assigned Google Doc with the voice to text feature. Find an image using the explore feature and add that to your doc as well. Have the image on the left and your text wrapped to the right of the image |