The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympeion, is a grand ruined temple in the center of the Greek capital dedicated to Zeus, the leader of the Olympian gods. It began to be built in the VI century. BC e., during the reign of the Athenian tyrant Peisistratus, who planned to create the largest building in the world, but it was never completed until the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century BC. n. e., 650 years after the start of work.
The temple is located 500 meters southeast of the Acropolis and a few blocks south of Syntagma Square. The construction of the Temple of Olympian Zeus began in 520 BC. e. on the site of the destroyed Temple of Pisistratus. The construction of the Temple was entrusted to the sons of Hippias and Hipparchos. They were going to surpass the two famous modern temples, Heraion at Samos and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which was one of the Seven Wonders. Ancient World. Designed by the architects Antistates, Kallaeschrus, Antimachides and Porinus, the Temple of Olympian Zeus was to be built of local limestone in the Doric style on a huge platform measuring 41m by 108m. sides.
Work was suspended when the tyranny was overthrown and Hippias was expelled in 510. Only the platform and some elements of the columns were completed by this time, and the Temple remained in this state for another 336 years. The temple remained unfinished during the years of Athenian democracy, apparently because the Greeks considered it impossible to build on such a scale.
This continued until 174 BC. e., when Antiocus IV of Epiphany, who presented himself as the earthly incarnation of Zeus, revived the project and appointed the architect Decimus Cossutius as its head. Then it was decided to surround the Temple with three rows of eight columns behind and in front of the temple and double rows of twenty columns on the sides, for a total of 104 columns. The columns were to be 17 m high and 2 m in diameter. The building material was also changed to expensive but high-quality marble, and the order was changed to Corinthian. However, the project was put on hold until 164 BC. e. due to the death of Antiocus.
In 124-125 years. AD, when Emperor Hadrian arrived in Athens, a program began to build a number of structures, one of which was the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Cossuthius' design was realized with some modifications and the temple was officially opened by Hadrian in 132 CE. e., having received the name "Panellenios". The temple and adjacent monasteries were decorated with numerous statues depicting Hadrian and the gods. A statue of Hadrian stood behind the building in honor of the imperial generosity. The statue of Zeus, made of gold and ivory, occupied a central place in the temple. The shape of the statue was unusual, as the use of gold and ivory was considered something archaic for that time. Initially, it was believed that Hadrian deliberately copied the famous statue of Athena of the Parthenon in an attempt to draw attention to the temple and to himself as a creator.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus was seriously damaged by the sack of Athens in 267. Its reconstruction was unlikely, especially considering the extent of the damage. And in 425, the Temple was completely closed by the Christian emperor Theodos II, when he forbade submission to the old Roman and Greek gods. Building materials of the building were used for the basilica, built in the 5th-6th centuries. n. e. By the end of the Byzantine period, the Temple was almost completely destroyed.
Fifteen columns have survived to this day and sixteen more lie on the ground, falling during a storm in 1852. Nothing remains of the great statue. The temple was excavated in 1889-1896. Francis Penros, who also led the restoration of the Parthenon, and subsequently in 1922 by the German archaeologist Gabriel Welter and in the 1960s. Greek archaeologist Ioannes Travlos. The temple today is under the control of the Greek Ministry of the Interior.
When looking for the Temple of Zeus, you will find two different structures built in honor of the lord of the Greek gods. There are ruins of the once great temple of Zeus at Olympia, as well as the remains of the temple of Olympian Zeus at Athens. The abode of Zeus at Olympia was built between 470 BC. and 456 AD, and Zeus in Athens was built much longer - from the sixth century BC to the second century AD. Although they are both practically destroyed, they still speak eloquently of the glory of the ancient.
Myths and facts
The building was erected on the site of a previous, more ancient temple. Construction began in 515 BC, led by the tyrant of Athens, Pisistratus. Pisistratus was the son of Hippocrates and led Athens for a long time. When Hippias, son of Peisistratus, was deposed after 5 years of his possession, work on the building was abandoned. With the advent of the period of Athenian democracy, the temple remained unfinished - the Greeks at that time believed that the construction of such a grand structure was an act of arrogance.
The history of the temple of Zeus continued its development when Alexander the Great took control of Athens and in the 3rd century BC. construction was resumed. Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the king of the Hellenistic dynasty, signed a contract with the Roman architect Cossuthius to build the largest. However, in 164 BC. work stopped again when Antiochus died. Only in the second century AD (in 129-131) was the construction of the sanctuary finally completed by Hadrian. It is worth noting that Hadrian also installed two huge statues in the center of the building: one depicted Zeus, the other - Hadrian himself.
Olympia is the site of the first Olympic Games, and the temple of Zeus at Olympia was one of the seven wonders of the world, but was destroyed by an earthquake in the 5th century.
What to see
The building was built in a rectangular shape, with six large columns on the front and back sides and 13 columns on the sides. It was a classical structure with sculptures and stucco by the unknown master Olympia. In the center of the temple was a statue of Zeus, impressive in its size and splendor, by the Greek sculptor, artist and architect Phidias. Seated Zeus occupied almost the entire hall. The Greeks considered unfortunate those who had never seen this statue of Zeus. They say that when Caligula wanted to transfer the statue of Zeus to his place in Rome, the statue burst out laughing and the workers fled in horror. Unfortunately, the statue has not survived to this day.
Athens is also located - the goddess of war, the winged protector of the city. And in Delphi you can see the sanctuary of the son of Zeus -. However, like Zeus, many buildings in Greece are dedicated to Apollo.
The Temple of Zeus in Athens is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.00 to 19.00, on Monday from 11.00 to 19.00 in the summer; in winter - from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30 to 14.30, on Monday from 11.00 to 14.30.
Cost: a single ticket to visit the Acropolis - 12 €, valid for 7 days.
How to get there: located in the center of Athens, the main entrance near Dionysius Areopagite Street. The nearest metro stations are Acropolis (10 min. walk) and Monastiraki (15 min. walk).
Ancient Greece, which is the birthplace of modern democracy, a country that gave the world many philosophical teachings, fundamental scientific discoveries and the greatest works of art, was not a brilliant realm of truth, but a conglomerate of large and small city-states and tribes, constantly at war with each other.
Computer reconstruction of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia
The most insignificant reasons could cause many years of bloody feud. However, once every four years, an event occurred that forced this boiling cauldron to subside. These were pan-Greek sports competitions, the famous Olympic Games, named after the city of Olympia in the region of Elis (Peloponnese), in which they were held.
Olympia
At the time of the Games in Hellas, all wars ceased. The best athletes of Greece, thousands of fans gathered here, kings, diplomats and other statesmen came here to discuss issues of peace and war. They could not be afraid for their safety, since everyone who arrived at the Games was considered "Zeus's guests." First of all, they all visited the main and most famous sanctuary of Hellas - the temple of Olympian Zeus.
Olympia has been a place of worship for Zeus since ancient times. sacred grove, Altis, was enclosed by a wall in the Mycenaean era. Within the fence there were a number of sanctuaries, of which the temple of Zeus was the most revered. Pilgrims came here from all the lands inhabited by Greeks, including from Italy, the Black Sea region, Africa and Persian possessions. Numerous statues of gods and winners of the Olympic Games were installed in Altis, as well as, according to Greek legend, an arch that exactly corresponded in height to the height of the founder of the Olympic Games, Hercules.
Construction history
The first altar to Zeus was erected here in the 10th-9th centuries. BC e., and the construction of the legendary grandiose temple of Zeus at Olympia began around 472 BC. e. The work was supervised by the local architect Libon. The best masters of Greece participated in the construction. The recent victory over the Persians united all the cities of Hellas in a patriotic impulse, and donations for the construction came from all over the country.
No expense was spared in the construction. The best types of stone and wood from the entire Hellenic world were brought to Olympia. Even the roof tiles, which were always made of clay, were marble. The main material for the construction was local hard shell rock, which was covered with marble plaster. The best sculptors of Greece sent their creations to decorate the temple.
The work was completed in 456 BC. e. After the completion of construction, the temple of Zeus at Olympia appeared to be a truly majestic building. The main decoration of the temple was a giant statue of Olympian Zeus by the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias. The scale of the statue was so grandiose that for its sake it was necessary to change the original plan of the building.
temple architecture
Only ruins remained of the temple, but eyewitness accounts and fragments of stone blocks and statues preserved in large numbers make it possible to reconstruct its appearance.
Temple reconstruction
The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was a classic peripter, a type of quadrangular building surrounded on all sides by columns. A powerful four-meter foundation was buried in the ground, on which a three-stage foundation rested. The size of the upper platform of the base, the stylobate, was 64 by 28 meters.
The temple's colonnade consisted of 38 slender Doric columns with 20 flutes (longitudinal grooves). At the ends of the building there were 6 columns, on the sides - 13 each, their height was 10.43 meters. Some of the columns are completely recreated, and their appearance makes it possible to consider the temple of Zeus at Olympia one of the earliest buildings of the classical style. In previous eras, the columns were made somewhat thicker in the middle, as if it was difficult for them to carry a roof and a frieze with images of gods and heroes. The columns of the temple of Zeus have completely even, straight silhouettes, they do not succumb under the weight of the roof, but lift it into the sky. This gave the building an unprecedented harmony.
Above the end columns there was a row of metopes - marble slabs with images of gods and heroes. Above, on the pediments, scenes from Greek myths were presented. On the eastern pediment there was a sculptural group depicting the competition of the mythical Oenomaus and Pelops, watched by Zeus, and on the western pediment - the battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs in the presence of Apollo. Numerous sculptures of pediments varying degrees preserved to this day and amaze with their expression and art of execution.
The whole structure was crowned with a gilded figure of Victory, installed in the center of the pediment, and gilded bowls stood along the edges. On the sides of the roof, marble lion heads were fixed, which served as amulets of the temple.
interior
In the interior, the building measured 28 x 13 meters. They climbed to the temple not by steps, but by a gentle ramp. Entering the naos, the inner hall, the visitor finds himself in front of one of the most remarkable works of Greek sculpture, the colossal statue of Olympian Zeus, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
Zeus was depicted seated on a throne set on a massive stepped pedestal. The pedestal symbolized Olympus, so gilded statues of the gods were located on its steps. The Thunderer himself held a scepter crowned with an eagle in one hand, and a golden statue of Nike stood in the palm of his other hand. The height of the statue of Zeus was about 10 meters. It seemed that if the god stood up, he would be higher than the temple itself.
The throne was made of ebony, adorned with precious stones and overlays of gold and ivory. The statue itself was made in the so-called chryso-elephantine technique. The frame was made of wood, on which plates of gold and ivory were attached. At the same time, the golden parts depicted clothes, and the ivory depicted open parts of the body.
On the sides of the hall there were galleries from which one could see the Thunderer, being literally at the level of his head. To hold a powerful roof, 4 more rows of 7 columns were installed in the room, between which statues of gods and heroes were placed.
The fame of the new temple quickly spread throughout ancient world. Gifts flowed here from Hellenic cities and colonies, as well as from barbarian rulers. Poets presented their poems in front of the temple, sculptors exhibited their creations. It was here that the "father of history" Herodotus for the first time publicly read out excerpts from his work.
The further fate of the temple
For many centuries, the flow of pilgrims to the temple has not dried up. The Romans who conquered Greece highly revered the sanctuary, identifying Zeus with their own. supreme god Jupiter. All the emperors who visited Greece considered it their duty to visit Olympia. In the Roman era, the pediments of the temple were decorated with gilded shields.
Ruins of the Temple of Zeus
The end of the existence of the sanctuary of Zeus, like many others, put the spread of Christianity. The zealous Christian emperor Theodosius in 406 ordered the destruction of all the buildings of Olympia, as pagan, and in the VI century, powerful earthquakes completed what Theodosius had begun. The statue of Zeus was taken to Constantinople, where it died in one of the fires that were frequent in those days.
Now there are only ruins on the site of the temple. However, numerous sculptures stored in the Olympia Museum, and fairly accurate reconstructions, allow us to imagine how grandiose and majestic the temple of Zeus at Olympia was.
Zeus - olympic god, a thunderstorm of all, a thunderer, to whom statues, bas-reliefs, temples are dedicated, this is one of the most angry Greek deities.
It was in his honor that the largest temple throughout the country was erected. In ancient times, the temple of Olympian Zeus was more majestic than the Parthenon itself. It was in it that gilded ivory sculptures were once located, which emphasized the status of Zeus and his divine principle.
The construction of the temple of Olympian Zeus began in 515 BC during the reign of the tyrant Peisistratus. The temple began to function only in 132 AD, under the emperor Hadrian.
It is difficult to describe the greatness of the temple in Hellenic times. He is all his appearance emphasized the grandiosity of the architectural thought of the ancient Greeks, their ability to create real masterpieces of stone. Even the remaining foundation of the temple gives us an idea of the scale of construction. So, for example, each of the marble pillars was 17 meters high! Currently, out of 104 Corinthian columns, only 15 are standing. But they also let us know how grandiose and majestic the temple was during its existence.
On the east and west sides of the temple there were sculptural pediments, each of which depicted scenes associated with the Olympic Games. Although the temple bore the name of the great Zeus, but initially his statue was not there. His statue of solid gold, precious stones and ivory was made by the Athenian sculptor Phidias using the chrysoelephantine technique in 435 BC.
Emperor Hadrian, having completed the construction of the temple, was awarded a great honor by the citizens of Athens - an arch was erected in his name. The Greeks have always been able to honor those who increase the wealth of the country and emphasize its greatness.
The temple was destroyed in the 4th century, but its ruins still hold memories, and the remaining Corinthian columns stand as guards, guarding the peace of the great Greek God— Zeus.
Amphipolis
In the vicinity of Amphipolis, traces of settlements dating back to the 3rd millennium BC were found. The importance of this place is evidenced by the fact that the Persian king Xerxes, having invaded the territory of Macedonia in 480 BC, chose it to make a sacrifice, which, according to ancient authors, consisted of nine young men and nine girls. However, this did not save the king of kings, and a year later the remnants of Xerxes' army were defeated here, at Amphipolis, by the forces of the Macedonian king Alexander I.
Fire in Thessaloniki
Ninety-four years will be celebrated in August from the day of the great fire that broke out on August 18, 1917. The catastrophe caused by the fire was enough to radically change the general appearance of the city of Thessaloniki, which no longer resembled that symbol of the 19th century. were left homeless. The objects of the disaster were many spiritual, religious institutions, economic, administrative offices and shops that were buried under the ashes. Among the buildings burned were the post office, the telegraph office, the city hall, the Ottoman Bank, the National Bank, the building of the Bank of Athens, the church of St. Demetrius and two others. Orthodox churches, eleven mosques, Archiravvineia with all the archives of 16 out of 33 synagogues. Also damaged were the publishing houses of most newspapers (Thessaloniki had the largest number of newspapers produced in Greece), many of which could not be republished, while the unemployment rate reached 70%.
Meteora in Greece. Holy Monastery of Rusanu
In the northeast of the Great Meteor and between the monasteries of Varlaam and the Holy Trinity, the monastery of Rusanu is located. At the foot of this bulk, a strong sense of fear seizes the visitor when he looks at the almost vertical cliffs. Rusanov Monastery in all its grandeur stands on the top of a cliff in an open area, which hardly accommodates it.
Ancient Agora in Athens
The ancient Agora played a big role in the cities Ancient Greece. It was a spiritual, administrative, as well as shopping mall cities. From the beginning of the sixth century, in connection with the reorganization of the state, the legislator Solon in 594 BC, Agora began to play an important role in the life of the city.
Heirs of Hermes
The first thing that strikes you when you arrive in any Greek city is that Greeks are emotional. No, not even that: Greeks are "overly" emotional
Temple of Olympian Zeus was the most big temple in Greece, the construction of which took more than seven centuries. The construction of the Olympeion began in the sixth century BC, during the Archaic period. But the temple was finally completed only in the second century AD, during the period of the Roman era. Construction began in 515 BC on the orders of the tyrant Peisistratus, but stopped only five years later when the tyrant's son was overthrown. In the subsequent democratic period, the temple was considered a symbol of oppression, and work was stopped.
History of the Temple of Zeus
Construction resumed in 175 BC, when King Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled. He hired the Roman architect Cossutius to design the big temple in the world. Unfortunately, 10 years later (in 164 BC) Antiochus died, and the work stopped again. In 132 AD e., during his second visit to Athens, the emperor Hadrian decided to complete the temple and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus. 
The Temple of Zeus became the center of a new district called Adrianopolis. Olympion was the largest temple in ancient Greece, exceeding even the Parthenon in size. The structure was originally conceived in the Doric style, with two rows of eight wide columns wide and two rows of 21 columns long. Cossutius significantly altered the original design. He added Corinthian pilasters, and also changed the arrangement of the columns, while retaining the original number. Emperor Hadrian decided to choose this design and follow it closely. 
To date, only fifteen of the more than a hundred large columns 17.25 meters high have survived. The sixteenth column was destroyed in a terrible storm in 1852, but its ruins still lie where it fell. The columns, two meters in diameter, were built of marble from the Pentelik quarry. They surrounded a cella in which were placed two large statues: a gold and ivory statue of Zeus and a statue of the Emperor Hadrian. The statue of Zeus was an exact copy of the statue of Zeus, created by the famous Greek sculptor Phidias in Olympia. Unfortunately, none of the statues has survived to this day.
Arch of Hadrian
In 131 AD, the Athenians built a closed arch in honor of Emperor Hadrian. An arch eighteen meters high is located northwest of the temple. It is engraved with two sentences. The inscription from the side of the Acropolis reads "This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus." The other side of the arch overlooks the temple and the part of the city built by Hadrian, and the inscription indicates that "This is the city of Hadrian, not Theseus." The inscriptions refer to the founders of the new and old city of Athens: the arch symbolically separated the old city (founded by the mythical hero Theseus) and the new city of Adrianopolis, founded by the Roman emperor Hadrian. 
Several other structures in the Temple of Zeus complex have been discovered during excavations at the Olympeion, including Roman baths from the 130s and several temples from the same period.
