Temple of the Oympian Zeus, A Monumental Tribute to the King of Gods

Vassilissis Olgas Avenue, Athens

Columns of the Temple of Zeus stand on the ground

4.2

Introduction

The Temple of Zeus was built during ancient Greece, located in the southeast of the Acropolis in Athens. It was built to worship Zeus and is one of the largest temples in ancient Greece. The architect was Libon, and the sculptor Pheidias was in charge of making the statue of Zeus. Completed in 456 BC, the temple follows the Doric style of architecture and has a base of 64x28 meters with six columns on the short sides and thirteen on the long sides. It is considered one of the most important buildings of early ancient Europe. The statue of Zeus is 12 meters high and supported by seven Corinthian columns, with an area of 41.1 meters x 107.75 meters, made using the chryselephantine technique. The walls and interior of the temple display marble carvings, such as the contest between Pelops and Oinomaos and the battle between Lapiths and Centaurs, as well as Hercules' exploits. In 86 BC, Roman commander Sulla attacked Athens and destroyed the unfinished temple, some of the columns and building materials were dismantled and taken to Rome. Even today, the columns and building materials can be seen among the ruins of the Roman Forum.