The Temple Of Zeus At Olympia

Question 1

Where is the temple of Zeus located ?

Answer 1

Olympia

Question 2

Where is the temple of Zeus SITUATED on Olympia ?

Answer 2

The sanctuary at Olympus called the Altis

Question 3

What is the Altis ?

Answer 3

The sacred area in the centre of Olympia that contained religious buildings

Question 4

When did the building of the temple of Zeus begin ?

Answer 4

472 BC

Question 5

When where the Olympic Games founded ? How does this locate to the Alter of Zeus

Answer 5

776 BC
The Altar of Zeus was known to have been there during this time and highlights the importance of the Altar over the temple itself

Question 6

Who is believed to have built the Altar?

Answer 6

Hercules or the local heroes two generations later than Hercules

Question 7

What is the main sacrifice that is described happening on the Alter of Zeus and when ?

Answer 7

The hecatomb of 100 bulls on the third day of the Olympics

Question 8

How tall was the Altar ?

Answer 8

7 meters high

Question 9

What is interesting about the origins of the Altar compared to the Temple ?

Answer 9

The altar existed roughly 200 years before the temple and exacerbates the importance of the Alter over the temple itself

Question 10

How long and wide was the temple ?

Answer 10

64.1 meters wide
27.7 meters wide

Question 11

What are the four conventional aspects of the temple of Zeus at Olympus ?

Answer 11

1. Oriented east to west
2. Built on a three stepped base
3. Featured an Opisodimos and Naos
4. Surrounded by colonnades

Question 12

What is on the eastern pediment of the temple of Zeus at Olympus ?

Answer 12

The myth of Oinomaos and Pelops
With Zeus the god of justice in the centre with the older King Oinomaos and the younger Pelops either side of him

Question 13

Who is depicted in the eastern pediment ? Characters only

Answer 13

Zeus(centre)
Then
Younger Pelops
Older king Oinomaos
Kings daughter Hippodamia
Kings wife Sterope
Either side
The personification of the river Klaseos
The personification of the river Alpehios

Question 14

How does the sculptor of the eastern pediment make it pleasing to the eye ?

Answer 14

The horses are smaller than expected and uses the natural body shape to follow the triangular shape of the pediment itself

Question 15

What is sculpted on to the eastern and western metopes ?

Answer 15

The twelve labours of Hercules

Question 16

What material is used to build it ?

Answer 16

Local limestone

Question 17

Who is the architect that built the temple of Zeus at Olympia

Answer 17

Libon

Question 18

What is the frieze type used ?

Answer 18

Doric hence the metopes of Hercules

Question 19

What is the function of the temple ?

Answer 19

Both a treasury and a temple

Question 20

What is depicted on the western pediment ?

Answer 20

The centauromachy ( Cents vs Lapiths)
Representative of civilisation vs barbarism

Question 21

How tall was the cult statue of Zeus ?

Answer 21

13 meters tall

Question 22

Who designed the statue ?

Answer 22

Phidias in his workshop

Question 23

Why is it important about which person designed the cult statue ? ( the significance for that person)

Answer 23

Since Phidias also designed the one in Athens and, given the great distance between Athens and Olympia, it is a great testimont to his skill

Question 24

What lay in front of the statue ? Why

Answer 24

A pool of olive oil
1. Helped to maintain the Ivory
2. Created a beautiful shimmering reflection in the light