THE STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA
Greece

A Divine Work of Gold and Ivory

Click here for Episode 3

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Every four years for more than a millennium, the athletes of the Greek, and later, Roman world would converge on a small sacred space in the Western Peloponnese. There, at the Olympic Games, they would test their mettle and strive for greatness.

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Overlooking the festivities was the great temple of Zeus, where inside, the renowned sculptor Pheidias created his gold-and-ivory masterpiece: the Statue of Zeus, seated, with Nike in his hand. The statue was so large that the Lincoln Memorial's Abe would only come up to Zeus' knees.

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In this episode, we discuss the ancient Olympic games and their athletes, Pheidias' craftsmanship, and the possible eventual fate of the statue.

After a side trip to Sparta, we seek out that most Greek of healthy fats: olive oil.

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Sources:

Forrest, W.C., A History of Sparta: 950 - 192 B.C.

The Lonely Planet Guide to Greece

Powell, Anton, Athens and Sparta: Constructing Greek Political and Social History from 478 BC

Reynolds et al, The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Monuments and How They Were Built

Romer, John and Elizabeth, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: a History of the Modern Imagination

​Swaddling, Judith, The Ancient Olympic Games

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Engraving by Antoine-Chrysostome Quatremère de Quincy

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