Zeus

Detailing the mythology behind the Greek god Zeus, this volume also includes information about the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Sculpted in 432 BC by Greek artist Phidias, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the most recognized Ancient Wonders. Nearly 40 feet (12 meters) tall, the statue occupied half of the width of the temple where it sat. Ancient Greek geographer Strabo once noted in the first century BC that ?if Zeus were to stand up, he would unroof the temple.? Made of ivory and gold-plated bronze, the statue sat in an intricate throne of cedar inlaid with ivory, gold, ebony and precious gems. In Zeus? right hand, he held a small statue of the goddess of victory, Nike. In his left hand, there was a scepter with an eagle perched on top. It is believed that the Roman Emperor Caligula was the cause of the statue?s destruction. According to Roman historian Suetonius, Caligula gave orders that statues of gods that were especially famous, including that of Zeus at Olympia, were to be brought from Greece in order to have their heads removed and a marble head of Caligula put in their place. According to legend, just as workers were moving stones to disassemble the Statue of Zeus, there was a loud moment of laughter, followed by the collapsing of scaffolding and the structure, killing some workers and leaving others to flee for their lives. Until recently, historians and archaeologists debated the time period in which the statue was built. The recent discovery of Phidias? workshop in the 1950s confirms that the temple was completed around the third quarter of the fifth century BC. Today, archaeologists continue to study the techniques Phidias used to construct the temple and the statue, and admirers of Ancient Greece admire the statue?s place on the Ancient Wonders list.