Zeus

Zeus

Zeus

Statue of Zeus at Olympia 

The monumental statue of Zeus at Olympia in Greece was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient 

World. Created in the 430s BCE under the supervision of the master Greek sculptor Phidias, the huge ivory and gold statue was bigger even than that of Athena in the Parthenon. Worshipped by pilgrims from across the Mediterranean, the statue inspired countless imitations and defined the standard representation of Zeus in Greek and Roman art in sculpture, on coins, pottery, and gemstones. Lost in later Roman times following its removal to Constantinople, Phidias’ masterpiece captivated the ancient world for 1,000 years and was the must-see sight for anyone who attended the ancient Olympic Games

Zeus

Facts about Zeus

Zeus became the ruler of heaven and earth after a revolt against his father, Kronos. In his position as king of the gods, Zeus had to play mediator when other the immortals were mad at each other.

He is the father of Athena, who is said to have sprung from his head. She was his favorite child, with whom he shared the thunderbolt and aegis

Hades and Poseidon were his brothers

.
His wife Hera was also his sister

. 

Zeus was not a faithful husband; he was known for having many affairs with mortal women.

Zeus fathered Hercules, the famous Greek hero, by deception. He disguised himself as Amphitryon, Alcmene’s husband, in order to have sexual relations with her.

Zeus fathered Perseus by impregnating Danaë. When he did so, he appeared to her in the form of a golden shower.

The name Zeus means “bright” or “sky

His weapon of choice was the thunderbolt, made for him by the mythical creatures, the Cyclops

Zeus

Zeus, more recently known for causing thunder and lightning, was once a rain-god. He was always associated with the weather in some form.

The Zeus described in Homer was not an extension of nature; instead, he had a standard of right and wrong that made him more relatable to mankind.

Before monarchies were rendered obsolete, Zeus protected the king and his family

Hesiod calls Zeus the “the lord of justice.” Perhaps because of this, he was reluctant to join a side in 

the Trojan War. He preferred the Trojans, but he wanted to stay neutral because Hera preferred the Greeks. She was insufferable when he opposed her openly.

Metis, the goddess of prudence, was Zeus’s first love.

Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe and Eileithyia are the children of Zeus and Hera.

His union with Leto brought forth the twins Apollo and Artemis.

When he seduced the Spartan queen Leda, Zeus transformed himself into a beautiful swan, and two sets of twins were born.

When Zeus had an affair with Mnemosyne, he coupled with her for nine nights. This scenario produced nine daughters, who became known as the Muses.

Zeus punished men by giving them women

Zeus’s servants were named Force and Violence

it was lost and destroyed during the 5th century AD with no copy ever being found, and details of its form are known only from ancient Greek descriptions and representations on coins.

Zeus

In the religion of ancient Greece, a temple was considered the dwelling place of a god, as its name naos (‘dwelling’) suggests. Thus, the statue of the deity inside was far more important than the temple itself. The figure was typically placed in the centre of the building so that when its doors were opened it could look out upon the sacrifices and ceremonies being performed just outside in that god’s honour. Whether the worshippers actually believed that the god somehow inhabited the statue is a moot point, but certainly prayers and ritual gestures were directly addressed to it. It is also interesting to note that one of the common names for a statue in Greek was zōon or “living thing

Zeus

History
The statue of Zeus was commissioned by the Eleans, custodians of the Olympic Games, in the latter half of the fifth century BC for their recently constructed Temple of Zeus. Seeking to outdo their Athenian rivals,  The Zeus was made with ivory and gold panels on a wooden substructure. No copy in marble or bronze has survived, though there are recognizable but only approximate versions on coins of nearby Elis and on Roman coins and engraved gems. that the statue was kept constantly coated with olive oil to counter the harmful effect on the ivory caused by the "marshiness" of the Altis grove. The floor in front of the image was paved with black tiles and surrounded by a raised rim of marble, to contain the oil. This reservoir acted as a reflecting pool which doubled the apparent height of the statue



References

link

link

link