The Statue of
Zeus was built in Olympia in 433 B.C.E.
Olympia was the city where the Olympics were formed. The statue was the smallest of all the Wonders.
It was 40 feet high and represented Zeus seated elegantly on his throne. Its base was 20 feet wide and 3 feet high.
The statue was sculpted with rare, beautiful, and expensive materials. Its skin was made of ivory. His robes and the
ornaments that decorated his body were crafted from gold.
The statue was almost too big to fit into the temple.
In the first century C.E, the Roman emperor
Caligula
tried to move the statue to Rome.
Zeus was King of the Greek and Roman Gods and the God of thunder and rain.
He was the God in whose honour the Ancient Olympic Games were held.
The Olympics were held every four years to celebrate and pay tribute to Zeus.
During the Olympic Games wars would cease.
At the time of the games athletes would come from Asia Minor, Syria, Sicily, and Egypt to celebrate the Olympics
and to worship their King of Gods, Zeus.
In C.E. 391,
Emperor Theodosius I, banned the Olympics as pagan practices and the sanctuary
of Zeus was closed.
The statue was destroyed in a huge fire in C.E. 462.
