The Temple of Zeus at Olympia

An Ancient Wonder and Forerunner = to Modern=20 Architecture

=C2=A9 Isaac M.=20 McPhee

Mar 29,=20 2008

The=20 Temple of Zeus at Olympia was one of the well known wonders of the = ancient=20 world, and has become the basis for modern structures such as the = Lincoln=20 Memorial.

In Washington D.C. there stands a relic of a long-since past, = but never=20 to be forgotten era in American history =E2=80=93 a monument to = one of her truly=20 great leaders. This is referring, of course, to the Lincoln = Memorial, that=20 vast statue of our tallest president carved from 28 blocks of = white marble=20 and sitting inside an even grander temple-like structure. It is = the least=20 we could do for the man who won the Civil War.

To deny the grandness of this structure would surely be = foolish, though=20 equally foolish would be to pretend that it possessed even a hint = of=20 originality. After all, it is widely accepted that the Lincoln = memorial=20 was designed very purposefully to be reminiscent to at least one = other=20 such statue in history.

The Lincoln memorial is, in many ways, a direct copy of the = Statue of=20 Zeus which stood in the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, Greece, from = 432 B.C.=20 to sometime in the fifth century, A.D.

The Statue of Zeus

It was a well-chosen source of inspiration, to be sure. As one = of the=20 seven wonders of the ancient world, the statue of Zeus demanded = great=20 respect amongst the people of the ancient world.

The statue actually stood notably taller than the statue of = Lincoln (=20 at an estimated 40 feet, it was more than twice as tall, in fact), = and in=20 the fifth century B.C., it was one of the grandest sights in all = of the=20 region of the Mediterranean.

Like so many other grand structures of ancient times, the = temple of=20 Zeus was built from the spoils of a war fought between the Eleans = (the=20 culture who lived in and around Olympius at that time) and the = armies of=20 Pisa.

The Doric style temple (the same style which was used in = the=20 Lincoln Memorial) was built around 450 B.C., to a size nearly that = of a=20 modern-day football field, and out of the finest marble (most = temples at=20 the time were made from baked mud). It was adorned with many = sculptures=20 and reliefs, though despite all of its beauty, it did not yet = possess the=20 statue which would become its most famous aspect.

The Fineries

The actual image of Zeus did not come until nearly 20 years = after the=20 templ=E2=80=99s construction, around 432 B.C. It was designed by = an artist named=20 Pheidias of Athens (whose workshop was discovered and excavated in = 1958,=20 which gave archeologists great insight into his tools and = methods), who=20 built perhaps the grandest statue the world had ever seen.

While the Lincoln memorial today is somewhat unadorned by = fineries,=20 being made from just one kind of material and of a single color, = probably=20 to retain a little humility, the Statue of Zeus, when completed, = had no=20 expense spared. The statue, built of ivory and ornamented in gold = and=20 other precious metals, along with expensive jewels, ebony and more = ivory=20 still, sat solemnly in the center of the temple, holding a second = statue=20 in his right hand of the goddess Nike, who represented = victory, and=20 in his left hand held a scepter, on top of which stood an = eagle.

Surrounding the statue was a reflecting pool filled with olive = oil=20 (need I mention that in front of the Lincoln Memorial today is a=20 reflecting pond as well, except filled with regular water), which = along=20 with being ornamental, helped to keep the air in the temple moist, = as the=20 ivory used could become brittle if allowed to dry out too = much.

The Beginning of the End=E2=80=A6 And the = End

The image of Zeus amazed the many travelers who made the grand=20 pilgrimage to Olympia every four years to compete in and observe = the great=20 Olympic games, which had begun around 776 B.C.

It was beloved enough to survive much over the years (being = refurbished=20 as it began to show its age over the years), including an attempt = by the=20 Roman emperor Caligula to transport the statue to Rome in the = first=20 century A.D. (he failed to do so).

Finally, when the Olympics were banned in A.D. 391 by Emperor=20 Theodosius I, the Temple of Zeus was closed for good. Both the = temple and=20 the statue were beginning to show their age at this point, from = natural=20 erosion as well as from landslides, floods and Earthquakes, but = the statue=20 remained rather marvelous.

After a fire in the temple in the fifth century A.D., the = statue was=20 somehow transported by some Greeks to a new temple in = Constantinople. This=20 feat alone probably deserves some sort of honorable mention in a = list of=20 great human accomplishments in history. There the statue sat until = finally=20 destroyed by another fire in A.D. 462. Today, while it is known = where the=20 ancient foundations of this temple are, nothing remains of the = great=20 statue. It is lost to the refuse pile of history.

But, President Lincoln remains. And comfort can be taken in = knowing=20 that, with modern technology and concern for the well-being of = great=20 architecture, this little version of Zeus will remain long into = the=20 future.