Temple of Zeus, Olympia

The Temple of Zeus was an ancient Greek temple in Olympia, Greece. It was built to honor the powerful god Zeus. People finished building it a very long time ago, during the fifth century BC.

This temple is special because it shows the perfect style of classical Greek buildings. It followed the rules of the Doric order, a main design used by ancient Greeks for their important buildings. The Temple of Zeus was a wonderful example of how clever and artistic the Greeks were when they built things.

Construction

The Temple of Zeus was built at Olympia, an old holy place. The area, called the Altis, had a sacred grove, open-air altars, and a large mound for Pelops. The temple was built between about 472 and 456 BC.

The temple had columns all around and porches at the front and back. It stood on a platform with three steps. Inside, there were columns dividing the space. A visit by Pausanias described the temple as very tall—about 68 feet high, 95 feet wide, and 230 feet long. The building used local poros stone, covered with a layer of stucco to look like marble. The roof was made of thin Pentelic marble tiles that let in soft light, and it had waterspouts shaped like lion heads.

Sculpture and decorations

See also: Apollon of Olympia

The temple was decorated with beautiful carvings made from special marble. The carvings showed stories from myths. One side showed a race between two heroes, Pelops and Oenomaus. The other side showed a battle between people and strong horse-like creatures. The carvings were made by talented artists and told stories of famous heroes and gods.

Statue of Zeus

Main article: Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The temple held a very famous statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This huge statue was made of gold and ivory and stood about 13 meters (43 feet) tall. A talented artist named Phidias made it in his workshop at Olympia. It took about 13 years to finish, from 470 to 457 BC, and it became one of the most admired artworks in ancient Greece.

When the big statue was placed inside, the temple was changed a lot. The inside columns and their bases were moved, and the roof might have needed new tiles. The floor, made of special stone, got a new coating of lime to keep moisture away from the statue’s ivory parts.

Subsequent history

The Roman general Mummius put twenty-one special shields on the temple after winning a battle in 146 BC. He placed the shields on the front and sides of the temple.

Later, the temple was probably damaged by strong earthquakes in 522 and 551. Some people think the temple’s columns might have been taken down on purpose a long time ago. Flooding from a nearby river made people stop using the area, and over time, the site was hidden under layers of dirt.

In 1766, an English explorer named Richard Chandler found the hidden temple site. In 1829, a French group of scientists visited and dug up parts of the temple for the first time. They took some pieces back to a museum in France. Since 1875, German archaeologists have been carefully digging at the site, and they are still working there today.