Statue of Zeus (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Many monuments were created to honor Zeus, King of the Greek Gods, yet none could be as impressive as the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. Over forty feet tall, the Statue filled the temple in which it was constructed from floor to ceiling. Created by the master artisan Phidias between 446 and 438 BC, the whole statue rested on a wooden frame built upon a cedarwood throne of appropriate size for a forty-foot deity. The frame was then draped in ivory and gold (ivory for skin, gold for clothing) and covered from head to toe in jewels. Before Zeus' feet, a shallow lake of olive oil reflected light into the temple, illuminating the otherwise closed building. Every four years, when the Olympic Games would be held in the town, Olympic competitors would approach the statue and make sacrifices to the King of the Gods with the hope of assuring their victory.