The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Faraz Virani

Location

• Peloponnesus (Modern Greece)• Built ~ 432 BC• It no longer stands today

www.daviddarling.info

Purpose

• Phidias sculpted the structure• It was built to honor Zeus, the master of the

gods and to symbolize the Olympic Games that unified all the Greek city-states.

• It was used to honor Zeus at the Olympia temple where the games were held as well.

Uniqueness

• It was struck by lightning the day after completion and had an interior.

• It took 12 years to complete the project.• Ivory, gold, wood, were used to make the

monument• A technique called chryselephantine helped

attach ivory and gold sections onto a wooden frame.

Ancient Foresight

• The Lincoln or Jefferson Memorials could be good parallels to the Statue of Zeus.

• This was one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World.

Bibliography

• http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/ztemp.htm

students.cis.uab.edu