This enormous statue honoring the god Zeus was built at the Temple of Zeus in Olympia around 450 B.C. Designed by the Greek sculptor Pheidias, the statue of a seated Zeus measured 40 feet tall and was carved from ivory with gold-plated accents. The statue depicts him seated on a cedar throne inlaid with jewels, holding a statue of Nike (goddess of victory) in his right hand and a scepter with an eagle on top in his left hand. Various theories exist to explain the statue's destruction. Some scholars believe that it was destroyed along with the temple in the fifth century. Others argue that the statue was brought to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in a fire in A.D. 462.
No comments:
Post a Comment