Ancient World Wonders-Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was carved by the famed sculptor Phidias around 435 B.C.E. in Olympia, Greece. The seated statue occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 40 feet high. "It seems that if Zeus were to stand up," the geographer Strabo noted early in the 1st century B.C.E., "he would unroof the temple." The statue was made of ivory and accented with gold plating. In the sculpture, Zeus was seated on a magnificent throne of cedar wood, inlaid with ivory, gold, ebony, and precious stones. In Zeus's right hand was a small statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, and in his left hand, a shining scepter on which an eagle perched.

Plutarch, in his Life of the Roman general Aemilius Paulus, records that the victorious general, upon seeing the statue, “was moved to his soul, as if he had beheld the god in person,” while the Greek rhetorician and philosopher Dio Chrysostom wrote that a single glimpse of the statue would make a man forget his earthly troubles. Although the statue itself is lost, in 1958 an excavation discovered the workshop used to create the statue. This has led archaeologists to attempt to re-create the technique used to make the great work. Temple of Zeus The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was built between 470 B.C.E. and completed by 456 B.C.E. to commemorate the Elean defeat of the Pisatans in 470 B.C.E. It was designed by Lisbon of Elis at Archaeopaedia. Later, it housed the monumental Statue of Zeus, which was added to the temple around 435 B.C.E. The temple was destroyed by earthquake in the fifth century B.C.E.

The temple was built from limestone and covered with stucco built on a raised rectangular platform of approximately 210 feet by 92 feet, with 13 33-foot columns on each side and six at either end. The temple was divided into three sections. Olympia Olympia not only housed the Temple of Zeus, but also hosted the Olympic Games. Held every four years, the games dated back possibly further than 776 B.C.E. The games quickly gained importance throughout Ancient Greece, reaching their zenith in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. The Olympics were of fundamental religious importance, contests alternating with sacrifices and ceremonies. These rites honored both Zeus, who was said to be presiding over the games, and Pelops, divine hero and mythical king of Olympia, famous for his legendary chariot race, in whose honor the games were held. The number of events increased to 20, and the celebration was spread over several days. The games were held every four years, and the period between two celebrations became known as an 'Olympiad.' In 394 C.E., the Christian emperor Theodosius I abolished the games because of their connection to paganism.

Ruins of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, GreeceOlympia's sanctuary, known as the Altis, consisted of an unordered arrangement of various buildings. Enclosed within the temenos (sacred enclosed area) were the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Zeus, the Pelopion and the area of the altar, where sacrifices were offered. The hippodrome and later stadium stood to the east. To the north of the sanctuary were the Prytaneion and the Philippeion, as well as the array of treasuries representing the various city states. The Metroon lies to the south of these treasuries, with the Echo Stoa to the East. To the south of the sanctuary are the South Stoa and the Bouleuterion, while the west side housed the Palaestra, the workshop of Pheidias, the Gymnasion and the Leonidaion. King of Gods Zeus was the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus. In Greek mythology he was the bringer of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds. Zeus's symbols were the thunderbolt (his weapon), eagle, bull, and the oak.

In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical Zeus also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the ancient Near East, such as the scepter. Frequently envisaged by Greek artists in one of two poses, Zeus is most often seen standing, striding forward, a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty, as in the case of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. Zeus was also protector of cities, the home, strangers, and supplicants. Statues of Zeus appeared in forecourts of houses all over Greece, while mountaintop shrines attracted scores of pilgrims. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, located in a sacred grove between two rivers was the most revered object of Zeus' worship. Seven Wonders of The Ancient World-Statue of Zeus at Olympia Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World - Ancient History - HISTORY.com Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World Author Sevens Wonders of the Ancient World URL A+E Networks Introduction The amazing works of art and architecture known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World serve as a testament to the ingenuity, imagination and sheer hard work of which human beings are capable.

They are also, however, reminders of the human capacity for disagreement, destruction and, possibly, embellishment. As soon as ancient writers compiled a list of “seven wonders,” it became fodder for debate over which achievements deserved inclusion. Ultimately, human hands joined with natural forces to destroy all but one of the wonders. Furthermore, it is possible that at least one of the wonders might not have existed at all. Still, all seven continue to inspire and be celebrated as the remarkable products of the creativity and skill of Earth’s early civilizations. Google Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt The Great Pyramids, located at Giza on the west bank of the Nile River north of Cairo, are the only wonder of the ancient world that has survived to the present day. The three pyramids–Khufu (Cheops), Khafra (Chephren) and Menkaura (Mycerimus)–were built between 2700 B.C. and 2500 B.C. as royal tombs. The largest and most impressive is Khufu, which covers 13 acres and is believed to contain more than 2 million stone blocks that weigh from two to 30 tons each.

For more than 4,000 years, Khufu reigned as the tallest building in the world. In fact, it took modern man until the 19th century to build a taller structure. Amazingly, the nearly symmetrical pyramids were built without the aid of modern tools or surveying equipment. Scientists believe that the Egyptians used log rollers and sledges to move the stones into place. The sloped walls, which were intended to mimic the rays of Ra, the sun god, were originally built as steps, and then filled in with limestone. The interior of the pyramids included narrow corridors and hidden chambers in an unsuccessful attempt to foil grave robbers. Although modern archeologists have found some great treasures among the ruins, they believe most of what the pyramids once contained was looted within 250 years of their completion. Did You Know? The Colossus of Rhodes was an inspiration for the Statue of Liberty. Hanging Gardens of Babylon According to ancient Greek poets, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built near the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq by the Babylonian king Nebuchadrezzar II around 600 B.C.

The gardens were said to have been planted as high as 75 feet in the air on a huge square brick terrace that was laid out in steps like a theater. The king allegedly built the towering gardens to ease his lover Amytis’ homesickness for the natural beauty of her home in Media (the northwestern part of modern-day Iran). Later writers described how people could walk underneath the beautiful gardens, which rested on tall stone columns. Modern scientists have deduced that for the gardens to survive they would have had to be irrigated using a system consisting of a pump, waterwheel and cisterns to carry water from the Euphrates many feet into the air. Though there are multiple accounts of the gardens in both Greek and Roman literature, none of them are firsthand, and no mention of the gardens has been found in Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions. As a result, most modern scholars believe that the existence of the gardens was part of an inspired and widely believed but still fictional tale. Statue of Zeus at Olympia The famed statue of Zeus was crafted by the Athenian sculptor Phidias and completed and placed in the temple of Zeus at Olympia, site of the ancient Olympics, around the mid-fifth century B.C.

The statue depicted the god of thunder seated bare-chested at a wooden throne. Holding up the thrones’ armrests were two carved sphinxes, mythical creatures with the head and chest of a woman, the body of lion and the wings of a bird. The statue of Zeus was richly decorated with gold and ivory. At 40 feet, it was so tall that its head nearly touched the top of the temple. According to legend, the sculptor Phidias asked Zeus for a sign of his approval after finishing the statue; soon after, the temple was struck by lightning. The Zeus statue graced the temple at Olympia for more than eight centuries before Christian priests persuaded the Roman emperor to close the temple in the fourth century A.D. At that time, the statue was moved to a temple in Constantinople, where it is believed to have been destroyed in a fire in the year 462. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus There was actually more than one Temple of Artemis: A series of several altars and temples was destroyed and then restored on the same site in Ephesus, a Greek port city on the west coast of modern-day Turkey.

The most fabulous of these structures were two marble temples built around 550 B.C. and 350 B.C., respectively. The former was designed by the Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes and decorated by some of the most celebrated artists of the ancient world. The building burned on July 21, 356 B.C., according to legend the same night that Alexander the Great was born. About six years later, the building of a new temple to replace it was begun. The new building was surrounded by marble steps that led to a more than 400-foot-long terrace. Inside stood 127 60-foot marble columns and a statue of Artemis. Archeologists disagree as to whether the building had an open-air ceiling or was topped with wood tiles. The temple was largely destroyed by Ostrogoths in A.D. 262, and it was not until the 1860s that archeologists dug up the first of the ruins of the temple’s columns at the bottom of the Cayster River.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Located in what is now southeastern Turkey, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a tomb built by Artemisia for her husband, Mausolus, the king of Carnia in Asia Minor, after his death in 353 B.C. Mausolus was also Artemisia’s brother, and, according to legend, she was so grief-stricken at his passing that she mixed his ashes with water and drank them in addition to ordering the mausoleum’s construction. The massive mausoleum was made entirely of white marble and is thought to have been about 135 feet high. The building’s complicated design, consisting of three rectangular layers, may have been an attempt to reconcile Lycian, Greek and Egyptian architectural styles. The first layer was a 60-foot base of steps, followed by a middle layer of 36 Ionic columns and a stepped, pyramid-shaped roof. At the very top of the roof lay the tomb, decorated by the work of four sculptors, and a 20-foot marble rendition of a four-horse chariot.

The mausoleum was largely destroyed in an earthquake in the 13th century and its remains were later used in the fortification of a castle. In 1846, pieces of one of the mausoleum’s friezes were extracted from the castle and now reside, along with other relics from the Halicarnassus site, in London’s British Museum. Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus was an enormous bronze sculpture of the sun god Helios built by the Rhodians over 12 years in the third century B.C. The city was the target of a Macedonian siege early in the fourth century B.C. and, according to legend, the Rhodians sold the tools and equipment left behind by the Macedonians to pay for the Colossus. Designed by the sculptor Chares, the statue was, at 100 feet, the tallest of the ancient world. It was completed around 280 B.C. and stood for sixty years until it was toppled in an earthquake. It was never rebuilt. Hundreds of years later, Arabs invaded Rhodes and sold the remains of the statue as scrap metal.

Because of this, archeologists do not know much about the exact location of the statue or what it looked like. Most believe that it depicted the sun god standing naked while he lifted a torch with one hand and held a spear in the other. It was once believed that the statue stood with one leg on each side of a harbor, but most scholars now agree that the statue’s legs were most likely built close together to support its immense weight. Lighthouse of Alexandria The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on a small island called Pharos near the city of Alexandria. Designed by the Greek architect Sostratos and completed around 270 B.C. during the reign of Ptolemy II, the lighthouse helped to guide Nile River ships in and out of the city’s busy harbor. Archeologists have found ancient coins on which the lighthouse was depicted, and from them deduced that the structure had three tiers: a square level at the bottom, an octagonal level in the middle and a cylindrical top. Above that stood a 16-foot statue, most likely of Ptolemy II or Alexander the Great, for whom the city was named.

Although estimates of the lighthouse’s height have ranged from 200 to 600 feet, most modern scholars believe it was about 380 feet tall. The lighthouse was gradually destroyed during a series of earthquakes from 956 to 1323. Some of its remains have since been discovered at the bottom of the Nile. Tags Wonder of the Ancient World: The Grand and Powerful Statue of Zeus | Ancient Origins 30 May, 2015 - 21:45 Bryan Hill Wonder of the Ancient World: The Grand and Powerful Statue of Zeus (Read the article on one page) The statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and arguably the most famous statue of its day. Once built as a shrine to honor the Greek god Zeus, this statue was considered the incarnate of the Greeks’ most important god, and not to have seen it at least once in one's lifetime was considered a misfortune. The size of a four story building and seven times the height of an average man, it was the tallest statue of the Mediterranean world. It also remained the statue to whom the original Olympic Games were played in honor.

According to legend, the altar of Zeus stood on a spot struck by a thunderbolt, which had been hurled by the god from his throne high atop Mount Olympus, where the gods assembled. Altars to Zeus graced the forecourts of houses throughout Greece and pilgrims visited his many mountaintop shrines, but the god's best-known temple was the monumental Temple of Zeus, built in a sacred grove between two rivers at Olympia on the west coast of Greece. The city of Olympia housed not only the Temple of Zeus, but also hosted the Olympic Games. They were first started in 776 BC and held every four years. One difference between the ancient and modern Olympic Games is that the ancient games were played within the context of a religious festival. They were held in honor of Zeus, considered the father of the Olympic Games. To honor Zeus, a temple was commissioned by the citizens of Olympia in 470 BC. Greek mythology and human origins Crowning of Victors of the Olympic Games. Depicted at Olympia - Hiero of Syracuse and victors.

( Wikimedia Commons ) Between approximately 466 BC and 456 BC, the Temple of Zeus was constructed by the Greek architect Libon, according to the classical Doric style and located in the city of Olympia. In ancient times the city of Olympia was a place of the cult of Zeus and contained numerous treasures, baths, temples, monuments, altars, theaters, and beautiful statues. Pausanias, a Greek traveler who wrote the earliest guidebook to ancient Greece in 150 AD made a detailed description of the temple. The temple had 13 columns and six columns on each end of Doric style. The roof was gently peaked and 40 lion-shaped marble gargoyles on the roof served as water spouts. Under the triangles or “pediments” (the block above the columns) were sculptures depicting the twelve labors of Heracles. The temple followed a design used on many large Grecian temples and was similar to the Parthenon in Athens and the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

Though the temple was considered one of the best examples of the Doric design because of its style and the quality of the workmanship, it was decided the temple alone was too simple to be worthy of the King of the gods. To remedy this, a statue was commissioned for the interior. The statue of Zeus was housed in the Temple of Zeus and made by The Greek sculptor Phidias in 430 BC, considered the most famous artist of ancient Greece. It took him several years to complete and was one of his two masterpieces with the other being the statue of Athena in the Parthenon. The Three Fates: Destiny’s Deities of Ancient Greece and Rome The statue measured over 13m (42 feet) high and 6m (21 feet) wide and had a perimeter of 13m (43 feet). The Greek geographer Strabo noted in the first century BC that if Zeus stood up, he would have put his head through the roof of the temple. The cella or Naos, was the inner part of the temple and main room at the center of the building which contained the colossal figure.

A viewing gallery allowed visitors to see it from a high vantage point which was accessed via two spiral staircases. Sitting on a throne decorated with images of heroes and gods from Greek mythology sat the immortal Zeus. The statue was made from a wooden frame of cedar wood covered with expensive materials such as ivory, ebony, bronze, gold leaf and precious stones. Zeus’s eyes were set with gemstones and around his head was a silver olive wreath. His hair and beard were made out of gold and his unclothed flesh—head, hands and feet—was rendered in burnished ivory. He wore a robe and pair of sandals made out of gold. The stool beneath his feet was upheld by two impressive gold lions. In his left hand was a scepter crowned with an eagle's head symbolizing his dominion over Earth. In his right hand sat a life-size statue of Nike, the winged goddess of victory. To keep his ivory skin from cracking the god had to be regularly anointed with olive oil, which was collected in a shallow pool beneath his feet and used to clean the statue on a daily basis.

The Seven Wonders - Ancient History Encyclopedia The Seven Wonders the Great Pyramid at Giza , Egypt the Hanging Gardens of Babylon the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus the Colossus of Rhodes the Lighthouse at Alexandria , Egypt The Seven Wonders were first defined as themata ( Greek for 'things to be seen’ which, in today’s common English, we would phrase as 'must sees’) by Philo of Byzantium in 225 BCE, in his work On The Seven Wonders. Other writers on the Seven Wonders include Herodotus , Callimachus of Cyrene and Antipater of Sidon . Of the original seven, only the Great Pyramid exists today. Great pyramid at Giza The Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed between 2584 and 2561 BCE for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (known in Greek as `Cheops') and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for almost 4,000 years.

Excavations of the interior of the pyramid were only initiated in earnest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries CE and so the intricacies of the interior which so intrigue modern people were unknown to the ancient writers. It was the structure itself with its perfect symmetry and imposing height which impressed ancient visitors. Advertisement Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, if they existed as described, were built by Nebuchadnezzar II between 605-562 BCE as a gift to his wife. They are described by the ancient writer Diodorus Siculus as being self-watering planes of exotic flora and fauna reaching a height of over 75 feet (23 metres) through a series of climbing terraces. Diodorus wrote that Nebuchadnezzar's wife, Amtis of Media, missed the mountains and flowers of her homeland and so the king commanded that a mountain be created for her in Babylon. The contoversy over whether the gardens existed comes from the fact that they are nowhere mentioned in Babylonian history and that Herodotus, `the Father of History', makes no mention of them in his descriptions of Babylon.

There are many other ancient facts, figures, and places Herodotus fails to mention, however, or has been shown to be wrong about. Diodorus, Philo, and the historian Strabo all claim the gardens existed. They were destroyed by an earthquake sometime after the 1st century CE. Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was created by the great Greek sculptor Phidias (known as the finest sculptor of the ancient world in the 5th century BCE, he also worked on the Parthenon and the statue of Athena there in Athens ). The statue depicted the god Zeus seated on his throne, his skin of ivory and robes of hammered gold , and was 40 feet (12 m) tall, designed to inspire awe in the worshippers who came to the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Not everyone was awestruck by the statue, however. Strabo reports, “Although the temple itself is very large, the sculptor is criticized for not having appreciated the correct proportions. He has shown Zeus seated, but with the head almost touching the ceiling, so that we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand up he would unroof the temple” (Seven Wonders).

The Temple at Olympia fell into ruin after the rise of Christianity and the ban on the Olympic Games as `pagan rites’. The statue was carried off to Constantinople where it was later destroyed, sometime in either the 5th or 6th centuries CE, by an earthquake. Advertisement Temple of Artemis at Ephesos The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, a Greek colony in Asia Minor , took over 120 years to build and only one night to destroy. Completed in 550 BCE, the temple was 425 feet (about 129 m) high, 225 feet (almost 69 m) wide, supported by 127 60 foot (about 18 m) high columns. Sponsored by the wealthy King Croesus of Lydia , who spared no expense in anything he did (according to Herodotus, among others) the temple was so magnificent that every account of it is written with the same tone of awe and each agrees with the other that this was among the most amazing structures ever raised by humans.

On July 21, 356 BCE a man named Herostratus set fire to the temple in order, as he said, to achieve lasting fame by forever being associated with the destruction of something so beautiful. The Ephesians decreed that his name should never be recorded nor remembered but Strabo set it down as a point of interest in the history of the temple. On the same night the temple burned, Alexander the Great was born and, later, offered to rebuild the ruined temple but the Ephesians refused his generosity. It was rebuilt on a less grand scale after Alexander ’s death but was destroyed by the invasion of the Goths . Rebuilt again, it was finally destroyed utterly by a Christian mob lead by Saint John Chrysostom in 401 CE. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was the tomb of the Persian Satrap Mauslos, built in 351 BCE. Mauslos chose Halicarnassus as his capital city , and he and his beloved wife Artemisia went to great lengths to create a city whose beauty would be unmatched in the world.

Mauslos died in 353 BCE and Artemisia wished to create a final resting place worthy of such a great king. Artemisia died two years after Mauslos and her ashes were entombed with his in the mausoleum ( Pliny the Elder records that the craftsmen continued work on the structure after her death, both as a tribute to their patroness and knowing the work would bring them lasting fame). The tomb was 135 feet (41 m) tall and ornately decorated with fine sculpture. It was destroyed by a series of earthquakes and lay in ruin for hundreds of years until, in 1494 CE, it was completely dismantled and used by the Knights of St. John of Malta in the building of their castle at Bodrum (where the ancient stones can still be seen today). It is from the tomb of Mauslos that the English word `mausoleum’ is derived. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Cool Stuff > Famous Buildings and Structures The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Since ancient times, people have put together many “seven wonders” lists.

Examples include the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and the Seven Natural Wonders of the U.S. The content of these lists tends to vary, and none is definitive. The original list of seven wonders is the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which is made up of a selection of ancient architectural and sculptural accomplishments. The seven wonders that are most widely agreed upon as being in the original list are outlined below. The Pyramids of Egypt A group of three pyramids, Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura located at Giza, Egypt, outside modern Cairo, is often called the first wonder of the world. The largest pyramid, built by Khufu (Cheops), a king of the fourth dynasty, had an original estimated height of 482 feet (now approximately 450 feet). The base has sides 755 feet long. It contains 2,300,000 blocks. The average weight of each block is 2.5 tons. Estimated date of construction is 2680 B.C. Of all the Ancient Wonders, the pyramids is the only one still standing.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon Often listed as the second wonder, these gardens, which were located south of Baghdad, Iraq, were supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C. to please his queen, Amuhia. They are also associated with the mythical Assyrian queen, Semiramis. Archeologists think that the gardens were laid out atop a vaulted building, with provisions for raising water. The terraces were said to rise from 75 to 300 feet. Statue of Zeus (Jupiter) at Olympia Phidias (fifth century B.C.) built this 40-foot high statue in gold and ivory. All trace of it is lost, except for reproductions on coins. It was located in Olympia, Greece. Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus The temple was a beautiful marble structure, begun about 350 B.C., in honor of the goddess Artemis. The temple, with Ionic columns 60 feet high, was destroyed by invading Goths in A.D. 262. It was located in Ephesus, Turkey.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus This famous monument was erected in Bodium, Turkey, by Queen Artemisia in memory of her husband, King Mausolus of Caria in Asia Minor, who died in 353 B.C. Some remains of the structure are in the British Museum. This shrine is the source of the modern word “mausoleum,” which is a large above-ground tomb. Colossus at Rhodes This bronze statue of Helios (Apollo), about 105 feet high, was the work of the sculptor Chares. He worked on the statue for 12 years, finishing it in 280 B.C. It was destroyed during an earthquake in 224 B.C. Rhodes is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Pharos of Alexandria The seventh wonder was the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria. Sostratus of Cnidus built the Pharos during the third century B.C. on the island of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the thirteenth century.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Also Visit the The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World See the famous Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Walk through the lush Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Climb the great Lighthouse at Alexandria. Stand before the immense statue of Zeus at Olympia. Marvel at the beauty of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus... The ancient Greeks loved to compile lists of the marvelous structures in their world. Though we think of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as a single list today, there were actually a number of lists compiled by different Greek writers. Antipater of Sidon, and Philon of Byzantium, drew up two of the most well-known lists. Why seven? The Greeks thought that the number had mystical significance. Perhaps because it was the total of the known planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) along with the Sun and Moon. Many of the lists agreed on six of the seven items. The final place on some lists was awarded to the Walls of the City of Babylon. On others, the Palace of Cyrus, king of Persia took the seventh position. Finally, toward the 6th century A.D., the final item became the Lighthouse at Alexandria.

Since the it was Greeks who made the lists it is not unusal that many of the items on them were examples of Greek culture. The writers might have listed the Stonehenge if they'd seen it, but this placs was beyond the limits of their world. It is a surprise to most people to learn that not all the Seven Wonders existed at the same time. Even if you lived in ancient times you would have still needed a time machine to see all seven. While the Great Pyramid of Egypt was built centuries before the rest and is still around today (it is the only "wonder" still intact) most of the others only survived a few hundred years or less. The Colossus of Rhodes stood only a little more than half a century before an earthquake toppled it. Take Our Tour So pack your bags and start this impossible tour through time and space. Some of the pages have 3D images, so if you're not familiar with how to view them, click here to visit our 3D page before you start. Other Lists Over time other groups have created lists using the magical number seven.

Though none of these lists are as old as the ancient wonders list, they are a starting point for exploring the marvels of our world: Wonders of the Modern World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World isn't the only list of marvels people have created. In 1994 the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) decided to put together a list of the most remarkable civil engineering feats of the 20th century. This list is often referred to as The Seven Wonders of the Modern World and you can visit them by going to our Modern World Wonders page. Wonders of the Natural World In 1997 the Cable News Network (CNN) put togeather a list of ecological wonders. To visit these locations go to our Seven Wonders of the Natural World page. Bon voyage! Copyright Lee Krystek,1998-2011. All Rights Reserved The Statue of Zeus at Olympia | AncientWorldWonders The Statue of Zeus at Olympia 24 Aug 2011 at 06:05 admin Olympia Statue Zeus ...

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, which was built by famous Greek sculptor Phidias, approximately 432 BC. It’s worth to be mentioned that the Statue of Zeus is one and only creation from the other six worlds’ ancient wonders which was located on the Europe Continent. Furthermore, it was considered to be the most famous artistic work in all of Greece and made profound and intense impressions of the viewer. The philosophers, ancient travelers, writers were certainly amazed when they witnessed the beauty of this statue. Philo of Byzantium, was one of those whose manuscripts about all of the wonders were kept till today, but when you glance through them the inspiration and ardor is felt while he touches the theme of the king of the Gods, Zeus. He wrote “Whereas we just wonder at the other six wonders, we kneel in front of this one in reverence, because the execution of the skill is as incredible as the image of Zeus is holy…” To the Greeks the statue of Olympian Zeus was the incarnate god, and not to have seen it at least once in one’s lifetime was considered a misfortune.

Olympic Games were the reason once every four years when all the wars, between the countries declared truce, conflicts were terminated in order to give safe passage to the athletes to travel from distant lands, including Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Sicily, to participate, compete and shrine the King of their gods, Zeus, in honor of which this most important festivals, the Olympic Games were organized. Olympics started in 776 B.C and it helped to unify the Greek city-states. The spot where the competitions were actually held consisted of a stadium and a sacred grove, or Altis, where a number of temples were located. The worshiping to Zeus here was simple and ordinary in the early years, but as time went by and the games increased in importance, it became obvious that a new, larger temple, one worthy of the King of the gods, was needed. Thus, the construction on a new temple started between 470 and 460 B.C.,. Thus the temple followed already well-maintained and often used design of large Grecian temples; it showed some similarities towards the Parthenon in Athens and the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

The outlook of the temple was like this: it was built on a raised, rectangular platform. Thirteen large columns supported the roof along the sides and six supported on each end. The temple was covered with gently-peaked roof, where the pediments depicted the twelve labors of Heracles. Even though the temple was considered one of the best examples of the Doric design because of its style and the quality of the workmanship, it is not the one which was declared as the ancient wonders of the world. However, a statue of Zeus specially made for the interior, to make it more superficial, otherwise it was too simple and usual for worshiping the god of the gods. When some philosophers argue that statue didn’t fit the interior of the temple, even though it was quite big, others assume that the proportions were very effective in conveying the god’s size and power. Sometimes it said that Zeus presided over the Olympic Games. As much as he was ruling over the gods from his exalted throne on the top Mount Olympus, Zeus was eligible to see everything, reward good conduct, punish evil, and govern all. Greeks thought that he was the bringer of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds, and his weapon was the thunderbolt.

He was the protector of cities, the home, strangers and supplicants. This sublime feelings and attitudes towards Zeus conditioned that the sculptor chosen for this great task, man named Phidias sculptured the figure of Zeus as it nearly grazed the roof. Talking about the person who was honored to do this great job, the best work of his life, Phidias was already quite experienced and well-known as he had already rendered a forty-foot high statue of the goddess Athena for the Parthenon in Athens and had done much on the exterior of that temple itself. After arriving on Olympia he set up the workshop to the west of the temple and it took 12 years to complete the project. The seated statue of Zeus itself was about 43 feet (12 meters) tall, 22 feet (10 meters) wide. The technique by which the statue was constructed is known as chryselephantine, where gold-plated bronze and ivory sections were attached to the wooden flame. Withstanding the fact that the weather in Olympia was so humid, the statue required the essential care. It’s said that Phidias held the responsibility for this maintenance for centuries.

Thoughtful and creative Phidias invented the method of treating it with olive oil, which also served as reflecting pool and gave the effect of illuminating the statue. The figure’s skin itself was composed of ivory and the beard, hair and robe of gold. Perhaps even more impressive than the statue it was the throne made out of gold, ebony, ivory and inlaid with precious stones. In his right hand the statue held the figure of crowned Nike, the goddess of victory, also chryselephantine and in its left was a scepter with an eagle perched on the top. Carved into the chair were figures of Greek gods and mystical animals, including the half man/half lion sphinx . The date of the statue, the third quarter of the 5th century BC, long a subject of debate, was confirmed archaeologically by the rediscovery and excavation of Phidias’ workshop. The sculptor of this world-famous statue after returning to his home-city was accused of stealing the gold meant for the statue of the goddess Athena and ended up his life in jail. However his masterpiece continued to live and astonish visitor’s eyes until it was damaged in an earthquake in 170 B.C. and then repaired.

However, much of its majesty was probably lost after Emperor Constantine decreed that gold be stripped from all pagan shrines after he converted to Christianity in the early fourth century A.D.. Then in 392 A.D. the Olympics were abolished by Emperor Theodosius I of Rome, a Christian who saw the games as a pagan rite. After that according to the Byzantine historian Georgios Kedrenos, the statue was moved by a wealthy Greek named Lausus to the city of Constantinople where it became part of his private collection of classical art. It is believed that the remains of the statue were destroyed by a fire that swept the city in 475 A.D.. However, other sources say the statue was still at the Olympic Temple when it burned down in 425 A.D.. The greatest discovery around this sculpture came in 1954–1958 with the excavation of the workshop at Olympia where Phidias created the statue. Tools, terracotta moulds and a cup were found at the site. The Cup extensively showed the inscribed “I belong to Phidias” note and furthermore that was a place where the traveler Pausanias said the Zeus was constructed.

This has enabled archaeologists to re-create the techniques used to make the great work and confirm its date. Of course the copies of the statue were made, but none of them survive, though pictures found on coins give researchers clues about its appearance. Thus, one thing is true, the statue of Zeus, during the centuries was such an impressive, exciting and powerful image of god that, “If a man, with a heavy heart from grief and sorrow in life, will stand in front of the statue, he will forget all these.” The Seven Wonders - Ancient History Encyclopedia The Seven Wonders the Great Pyramid at Giza , Egypt the Hanging Gardens of Babylon the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus the Colossus of Rhodes the Lighthouse at Alexandria , Egypt The Seven Wonders were first defined as themata ( Greek for 'things to be seen’ which, in today’s common English, we would phrase as 'must sees’) by Philo of Byzantium in 225 BCE, in his work On The Seven Wonders. Other writers on the Seven Wonders include Herodotus , Callimachus of Cyrene and Antipater of Sidon .

Of the original seven, only the Great Pyramid exists today. Great pyramid at Giza The Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed between 2584 and 2561 BCE for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (known in Greek as `Cheops') and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for almost 4,000 years. Excavations of the interior of the pyramid were only initiated in earnest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries CE and so the intricacies of the interior which so intrigue modern people were unknown to the ancient writers. It was the structure itself with its perfect symmetry and imposing height which impressed ancient visitors. Advertisement Hanging Gardens of Babylon The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, if they existed as described, were built by Nebuchadnezzar II between 605-562 BCE as a gift to his wife. They are described by the ancient writer Diodorus Siculus as being self-watering planes of exotic flora and fauna reaching a height of over 75 feet (23 metres) through a series of climbing terraces.

Diodorus wrote that Nebuchadnezzar's wife, Amtis of Media, missed the mountains and flowers of her homeland and so the king commanded that a mountain be created for her in Babylon. The contoversy over whether the gardens existed comes from the fact that they are nowhere mentioned in Babylonian history and that Herodotus, `the Father of History', makes no mention of them in his descriptions of Babylon. There are many other ancient facts, figures, and places Herodotus fails to mention, however, or has been shown to be wrong about. Diodorus, Philo, and the historian Strabo all claim the gardens existed. They were destroyed by an earthquake sometime after the 1st century CE. Statue of Zeus at Olympia The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was created by the great Greek sculptor Phidias (known as the finest sculptor of the ancient world in the 5th century BCE, he also worked on the Parthenon and the statue of Athena there in Athens ).

The statue depicted the god Zeus seated on his throne, his skin of ivory and robes of hammered gold , and was 40 feet (12 m) tall, designed to inspire awe in the worshippers who came to the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Not everyone was awestruck by the statue, however. Strabo reports, “Although the temple itself is very large, the sculptor is criticized for not having appreciated the correct proportions. He has shown Zeus seated, but with the head almost touching the ceiling, so that we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand up he would unroof the temple” (Seven Wonders). The Temple at Olympia fell into ruin after the rise of Christianity and the ban on the Olympic Games as `pagan rites’. The statue was carried off to Constantinople where it was later destroyed, sometime in either the 5th or 6th centuries CE, by an earthquake. Advertisement Temple of Artemis at Ephesos The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, a Greek colony in Asia Minor , took over 120 years to build and only one night to destroy.

Completed in 550 BCE, the temple was 425 feet (about 129 m) high, 225 feet (almost 69 m) wide, supported by 127 60 foot (about 18 m) high columns. Sponsored by the wealthy King Croesus of Lydia , who spared no expense in anything he did (according to Herodotus, among others) the temple was so magnificent that every account of it is written with the same tone of awe and each agrees with the other that this was among the most amazing structures ever raised by humans. On July 21, 356 BCE a man named Herostratus set fire to the temple in order, as he said, to achieve lasting fame by forever being associated with the destruction of something so beautiful. The Ephesians decreed that his name should never be recorded nor remembered but Strabo set it down as a point of interest in the history of the temple. On the same night the temple burned, Alexander the Great was born and, later, offered to rebuild the ruined temple but the Ephesians refused his generosity.

It was rebuilt on a less grand scale after Alexander ’s death but was destroyed by the invasion of the Goths . Rebuilt again, it was finally destroyed utterly by a Christian mob lead by Saint John Chrysostom in 401 CE. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was the tomb of the Persian Satrap Mauslos, built in 351 BCE. Mauslos chose Halicarnassus as his capital city , and he and his beloved wife Artemisia went to great lengths to create a city whose beauty would be unmatched in the world. Mauslos died in 353 BCE and Artemisia wished to create a final resting place worthy of such a great king. Artemisia died two years after Mauslos and her ashes were entombed with his in the mausoleum ( Pliny the Elder records that the craftsmen continued work on the structure after her death, both as a tribute to their patroness and knowing the work would bring them lasting fame). The tomb was 135 feet (41 m) tall and ornately decorated with fine sculpture.

It was destroyed by a series of earthquakes and lay in ruin for hundreds of years until, in 1494 CE, it was completely dismantled and used by the Knights of St. John of Malta in the building of their castle at Bodrum (where the ancient stones can still be seen today). It is from the tomb of Mauslos that the English word `mausoleum’ is derived. Statue Of Zeus at Olympia Statue Of Zeus at Olympia ► More 7 Wonders of the Ancient World The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was erected nearly 2,500 years ago in Olympia, Greece. The colossal statue was created by Greek sculptor Phidias and stood 43 feet tall, which was an amazing achievement at the time. By the standards of the day, the Statue of Zeus would have been a breathtaking sight as it towered over the ancient city of Olympia inspiring fear and devotion to the god of the Greeks. Symbol of Power Besides inspiring the Greek people to love and fear their god’s, the Statue Of Zeus also served another, very important purpose. For the Greek people and visitors alike, the statue demonstrated the power and wealth of the Greek empire.

The ability to erect such an impressive statue would have made the Greek people proud of their country and made visitors envious. A dual strategy of military power and impressive civilization was employed by the Greeks and later the Romans to build impressive empires. Construction Of The Statue An ancient text, written by Greek geographer Pausanias, gave an account of the site where the statue was constructed. Archaeologists used this information to pin point the exact location where they found terracotta molds of the statue and personal items which carried the sculptor’s name. Destruction Of the Statue The exact time and reason for the loss of the Statue of Zeus is not clear. There is evidence to suggest that Roman Emperor Caligula ordered the statue to be dismantled and moved to Rome. There have been written accounts that this was not carried out before Caligula’s assassination. Roman historian Suetonius wrote that the scaffold fell and the workers ran from the site in fear of Zeus. Other ancient historians recorded differing accounts of the loss of the statue.

In the 11th century George Kedrenos, a Byzantine historian, wrote that the statue was moved to Constantinople where it was destroyed by fire in 475 AD in the Palace of Lausus. This palace was known to house a vast collection of ancient and mythical statues from around the world before it was destroyed. Lost or Destroyed? This does seem to be a credible last resting place for The Statue Of Zeus, however, some historians argue that it was destroyed in Olympia in around 425 AD and some evidence does seem to suggest this. It is possible that this was the time the statue was moved to Constantinople which would explain the theories that it had been destroyed at that time. Wherever its final resting place was, the Statue of Zeus stood proud over Olympia for some time and was truly a wonder of the ancient world. 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

Question: Which wonder of the ancient world was at Olympia?
Answer: Statue of Zeus