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=﻿=  **//The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. //**

In[| Olympia], which was not really a city but a land full of temples dedicated to various gods and the place where sports competitions were held, the ancient Greeks built a shrine offered to Zeus. They chose the sanctuary as a venue for the Olympic Games, sports games that were held in honor of Zeus, with participants from all points of Hellas.

 [|The temple for Zeus] was built in the V century BC, roughly between 470 and 450 BC by architect Libo, who did local limestone, low aesthetic quality, and they had to make a simulated marble surface coating.

 The temple was built with the intention of housing the statue of Zeus. This statue was built by the most famous sculptors of ancient Greece, called Phidias.

 Pausanias, who was a Greek historian of the second century AD described the statue sculpted in ivory and about 12 meters. He says that Zeus is seated on a throne with a naked torso with a blanket covering his legs. Curls on his head and a crown of olive, his eyes downward in an attitude of looking to the faithful who were on his feet. In his right hand he carried a scepter topped by an eagle, while in his left hand was Nike or goddess of victory. The cloak that covered his legs was decorated with lilies and he had golden sandals.”

 The throne on which sat the god was in itself a work of art since Phidias chose materials for this part of the work: ivory, ebony and gold with some inlaid gemstones. The support, the rungs and legs were carved depicting scenes from Greek mythology.

 The statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the most long-lasting of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The fate of the statue is unknown, according to some versions of the statue it disappeared in a fire. According to others, it survived and was rescued by a collector of Constantinople.

 In 1820, an expedition of French discovered thetemple without a trace of the statue , but there is no doubt that the statue of Zeus is without doubt one of the most controversial and shocking wonders of the ancient world.











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