Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The Statue of Zeus was the fourth oldest Wonder. It was built in Olympia in 433 BCE by the famous sculptor Pheidias to adorn the Sanctuary of Zeus, where the Olympic Games were held each year (King 10). Pheidias began to build it around 440 BCE (Pathak).

The great statue of Zeus at Olympia was sculpted by the Athenian artist, Pheidias. After completing his work on the Acropolis in 438 BC, Pheidias was commissioned by the Olympian priesthood to design and produce a chryselephantine statue of the god (P. Valavanis). The statue took Pheidias over 12 years to complete, and the result was so astounding that those who saw the statue marveled and placed it among the Seven Wonders of the World (J. Swaddling). Pheidias is said to have used verses from Homer’s Iliad as inspiration for his masterpiece (H. Schobel). The following lines served as a basis for his interpretation;

The statue itself was destroyed around the 5th century AD; therefore any knowledge of the statue comes to us through second hand descriptions and representations. Luckily, Pausanias described the statue in great detail. The following description of the statue is based on his observations.