Temple of Zeus at Olympia facts for kids
The Temple of Zeus was a very important building in Ancient Greece. It was a Doric temple located in Olympia, Greece. Olympia is famous as the place where the ancient Olympic Games were held. This temple was built to honor Zeus, who was the most powerful god for the Ancient Greeks. Today, the temple is a ruin, but it was once the most impressive building in Olympia.
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Building the Temple
The Temple of Zeus was built a long time ago. Construction started around 470 BC. It was finished about 456 BC. Builders mainly used local limestone for the temple. But the roof tiles, gargoyles, and sculptures were made from beautiful marble.
This temple was quite large. It was about 64 meters long. It was also around 27 meters wide. The temple stood very tall, reaching over 20 meters high. It had many columns. There were six columns at each end. Along the sides, there were thirteen columns. Each column was about 10.45 meters tall.
A special ramp was at the eastern end. This ramp led to the prodomos, which was like a front porch. A table for the Olympic wreaths stood nearby. This was where Olympic winners were crowned on the last day of the games.
Amazing Sculptures
The temple was decorated with incredible sculptures. These artworks told famous stories.
East Pediment
The sculptures on the east pediment showed a story. This was the myth of Pelops and Hippodameia. It was about the very first chariot races. This story was important to the Olympic Games.
West Pediment
On the west pediment, another story was shown. This depicted the battle between the Centaurs and the Lapiths. This myth represented the fight between wildness and civilization.
Labors of Heracles
There were also twelve special carvings called metopes. Six were above the front porch. The other six were over the back porch. Each metope showed one of the Labors of Heracles. These were twelve very difficult tasks that the hero Heracles had to complete.
The Famous Statue of Zeus
Inside the temple was a huge statue. This was Phidias' Statue of Zeus at Olympia. It was so grand that it became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The exact fate of this amazing statue is not known. Some people think it was moved to Constantinople. There, it might have been destroyed in a big fire in 475 AD. Others believe it was destroyed earlier. It might have burned in a fire at Olympia in 426 AD. Phidias' workshop, where he made the statue, was found in Olympia in 1954.
What Happened to the Temple?
The area around the temple was full of statues. These statues honored gods, heroes, and Olympic winners. They were given as gifts by people and cities. A sacred olive tree grew near the temple. The Olympic wreaths were cut from its branches.
The temple faced several disasters. In 426 AD, Emperor Theodosius II ordered the temple to be burned. Later, strong earthquakes caused more damage. These earthquakes happened in 522 AD and again in 551 AD. These events left the great Temple of Zeus in ruins.
