The chief building in Olympia was the great temple of the god Zeus. The temple was built in 450 BC and was considered to be not fitting for the mightiest of the Gods. The Athenian sculptor Pheidias was assigned the task to create the greatest statue Greece had ever seen. He built a huge figure, richly decorated, and seated on a throne. The stting Zeus’ head reached the ceiling. This use of space was out of character for the Greeks and it was this imagery that made the work an ancient wonder of the world. In 391 AD the Olympic games were banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius because of the Pagan practices it represented. The statue was moved to Constantinople by a group of wealthy Greeks. The statue was destroyed by fire in the 5th century BC. Although descriptions have been found, no one, today, knows exactly what the statue looked like.

Credits: Early Autumn - et Designs