In ancient times the Greeks held one of their most important festivals, The Olympic Games, in honor of the King of their gods, Zeus. Like our modern Olympics, athletes traveled from distant lands, including Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Sicily, to compete in the games. The Olympics were first started in 776 B.C. and held at a shrine to Zeus located on the western coast of Greece in a region called Peloponnesus. The games, held every four years, helped to unify the Greek city-states. Sacred truce was declared during the games and wars were stopped. Safe passage was given to all traveling to the site, called Olympia, for the season of the games.
The Statue of Zeus is located at the ancient town of Olympia, on the west coast of modern Greece, about 150 km west of Athens. This is the statue of the God of Ancient people. He was the king of the gods for Ancient people. He was so famous that the Ancient Olympic Games used to be held in his honor. Everybody respected their God of Zeus so much that when the game started wars all around the world had stopped, people came to celebrate the Olympics and worship the God of Zeus from various places such as Asia minor, Syria, Egypt, Sicily.
The Statue of Zeus was done by ereting a wooden frame on which sheets of metal and ivory were placed to provide the outer covering. A person from Ancient time, named Pheidias, which still exists in Olympia, had started building this statue at 440 BC. Few years earlier Pheidias had developed technique to build enormous building and ivory statues. Pheidias first sculpted the different parts of the statue in his workshop, then assembled in the temple.
The statue was made of ivory, a gleaming symbol of the Greeks' reverence for the head of the gods. Zeus wore a robe and jewels made of gold; also made of gold were the sandals he wore. The throne on which Zeus sat was made of cedarwood and was inlaid with ebony, ivory, gold, and jewels. Zeus held in his left hand a shining scepter, on top of which an eagle perched, ready to take off at any moment and do the god's bidding. In Zeus's left hand rested a statue of goddess of victory Nike.
The monument was carved by Phidias, considered the greatest Greek sculptor. Phidias it was who also designed the overpowering statue of Athena that stood in the Parthenon and other, smaller, statues at such landmarks as Marathon and Plataea.
The statue of Zeus at Olympia was completed by 435 B.C. It lasted as an inspiration to and destination for thousands for many years. It resisted many attempts to usurp its authority in the eyes of its visitors. The Roman Emperor Caligula, jealous of its power over his newly conquered "citizens," ordered it moved to Rome. The scaffolding attached to the statue collapsed, accompanied by, according to legend, a loud laughing noise. The temple and statue survived earthquakes and other natural disasters until it was uprooted and carted off to Constantinople, in A.D. 394. It was lost in an accidental fire in 462.
A few columns of this famous landmark have been uncovered during 19th and 20th Century archaeological digs, but that is all that remains of the once magnificent statue.
keep spirit!!!
BalasHapus