When the Temple of Zeus was completed at Olympia in 456 B.C., it was considered too simple to be worthy of the king of the gods. A statue of Zeus was commissioned from a sculptor named Phidias, already famous for his forty-foot high statue of the goddess Athena. It took him 12 years but the project was completed by 435 B.C.
The figure's skin was composed of ivory and the beard, hair and robe of gold. Construction was by a technique known as chryselephantine, where gold-plated bronze and ivory sections were attached to a wooden frame. Because the weather in Olympia was so damp, the statue required care so that the humidity would not crack the ivory. It is said that for centuries the descendents of Phidias held the responsibility for this maintenance. To keep it in good shape the statue was constantly treated with olive oil kept in a special reservoir, which also served as a reflecting pool, in the floor of the temple. Light reflecting off the pool from the doorway may also have had the effect of illuminating the statue.
Besides the statue, there was little inside the temple. The Greeks preferred the interior of their shrines to be simple. The seated statue was 12 meters (43 feet) tall, and occupied half of the width of the aisle of the temple built to house it. "It seems that if Zeus were to stand up," geographer Strabo noted early in the 1st century BC, "he would unroof the temple."
The god sits on a throne, and he is made of gold and ivory. On his head lies a garland which is a copy of olive shoots. In his right hand he carries a Victory [Nike], which, like the statue, is of ivory and gold; she wears a ribbon and—on her head—a garland. In the left hand of the god is a sceptre, ornamented with every kind of metal, and the bird sitting on the sceptre is the eagle. The sandals also of the god are of gold, as is likewise his robe. On the robe are embroidered figures of animals and the flowers of the lily. The throne is adorned with gold and with jewels, to say nothing of ebony and ivory. Upon it are painted figures and wrought images.
Pausanias, Description of Greece, Book 5, Ch. 11
No copy in marble or bronze has survived, though there are recognizable but approximate versions on coins of nearby Elis and on Roman coins to give researchers clues about its appearance.
The Roman Emperor Caligula decreed that all such statues of gods were to be brought to Rome so that the heads could be removed and his own put in their place. The scaffolding attached to the statue collapsed, accompanied by, according to legend, a loud laughing noise. Shortly after this Caligula was assassinated (41 A.D.).
In 391 A.D. Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the worship of the pagan gods and ordered the temples closed. The Olympia temple fell into disrepair and was eventually brought down by earthquakes.
The fate of the statue of Zeus is largely unknown. Some believe it was carried off to Constantinople where it was destroyed in a fire in 475 A.D. Others believe it was destroyed by earthquakes and fire along with the temple that housed it.
No comments:
Post a Comment