The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The colossal gold and ivory statue of Zeus seated on an elaborately worked throne was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was sculpted (C.436-432 BC) by Phidias and placed in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Greece. Standing almost 40 ft (12 m) high, the statue survived until the 5th century AD.

The colossal Zeus in the temple at Olympia was the most celebrated ancient statue because of its size, beauty, and costliness. It was chryselephantineัmade of gold and ivory. The famous Athenian sculptor Phidias (who also designed the statue of Athena in the Parthenon) made the seated figure (c.436-432 BC) in a special workshop behind the temple. The figure sat on an elaborate throne covered with ebony, glass, and gemstone inlays as well as sculptures and paintings of Greek myths and legends. It held a scepter with an eagle in its left hand and a Nike (victory goddess) in its right. The flesh was ivory and the drapery gold. In front of the figure, whose head nearly touched the ceiling (it was approximately 12 m/40 ft high), was a blue-black stone basin filled with oil to protect it from the damp air of Olympia. Tourist galleries surrounded it. The lost statue is known from coins and archaeological evidence.