Statue of Olympian Zeus - only miracle of light, which was proven to be on the continent. None of the temples Of [ellady] seemed Greeks by the worthy of the title of miracle. And, after selecting as the miracle for Olympius, they memorized not temple, not sanctuary, but only statue, which stood inside. Zeus had to the Olympiuses the most straight direct relation. Each inhabitant of those places excellently remembered that precisely here Zeus conquered the bloodthirsty of Kron, native his father, who in the fear, that the sons will take away in it authority, started to devour them. Zeus rescued also, as the fairytale heroes of all peoples escaped themselves: the good soul, who will be sorry baby, always will be located. Here wife of Kron, [Reya], slipped to husband instead of Zeus the large stone, which that swallowed. Obviously, Kron its children it swallowed wholly. When Zeus grew up and conquered father, he helped out at liberty all his brothers and sisters. Aida, Athena, the Poseidon…
The Olympic Games, in particular, were founded in the honor of this event and began with offerings to Zeus. Main sacred thing the Olympiuses was the temple of Zeus with his statue of the work of great [Fidiya]. [Fidiy] it was famous not only by the statue of Zeus [Olimpiyskiy], but also by statue Athens into [Fidie] and by reliefs on his walls. Together with Pericles [Fidiy] developed the plan of reconstruction and adornment of Athens, which, true, dearly managed To [fidiyu]: the enemies of its powerful friend and patron became the enemies of sculptor. Their vengeance was commonplace and dirty, but the average men thirsted the scandal: [Fidiy] it was accused of the fact that it concealed gold and ivory during the construction of statue Athens in the Parthenon.
The glory of sculptor proved to be stronger than maligners. The inhabitants Of [elidy] introduced guarantee for the prisoner, and Athenians considered this pretext sufficient in order to let go [Fidiya] to work in to Olympius. Several years Of [fidiy] remained in the Olympiuses, building statue - syncretic using the material and known to us according to the descriptions and images on the coins.
The statue of Zeus was located in the temple, whose length reached 64 meters, width - 28, and the height of internal accomodation was about 20 meters. The sitting at the end hall on the throne Zeus propped up by head ceiling. They assume that the statue rose into the height to 17 meters. Zeus exposed to the belt was prepared from the tree. His body covered the plates of pinkish, warm ivory, clothing - gold sheets, in one hand it held gold statue nick - the goddess of victory, another it rested on the high baton. Opening was so majestic, that when [Fidiy] completed its labor, it approached the statue, as swimming above the black marble sex of temple, and it asked: “You is contented, Zeus?” The thunder clap was heard as the answer, and sex in the feet of statue cracked. Zeus was contented.
Sculptor for long searched for methods in order to illuminate the enormous statue (windows in the walls of Greek temples did not make, light it flowed only through the door aperture). [Fidiy] it solved this task: “Before the pedestal of the statue of Zeus sex was covered by dark blue [elevsinskim] stone… Now [Fidiy] it ordered to cut down in this dark-blue stone- rectangular deepening for the pond, into which was filled the composition with the olive oil, which protected statue from the ivory from the dampness disastrous for it. The dark oily surface of liquid in the dark pond wonderfully reflected the incident to it from the doors flow of light <… > rays dispatch they upward and illuminated the splendid head of Zeus, his powerful arms, the descending tapes of corona, fold of the richly decorated raincoat. To pilgrims, who did not know about this optical focus, it seemed, that the image of Zeus auto emits godly light”
Remained the descriptions of the armchair of Zeus, which was decorated with bas reliefs from the ivory and gold statues of gods. Side walls of throne were painted by artist [Panenom], relative and assistant [Fidiya].
Subsequently byzantine emperors transported with all precautions statue to Constantinople. Although they were Christians, hand to Zeus not in whom rose. Even Christian fanatics, enemies of heathen beauty, did not laugh to destroy statue. Byzantine emperors at first permitted themselves to value high skill. But, to the deep satisfaction of Christian preachers, god punished his heathen rival, after punishing thus emperors derailed from the righteous way. IN the V century of our era the palace of emperor Theodosius OF THE II burnt. Wooden colossus became the outputs of the fire: only several charred bone plates yes of the sparklet of molten gold remained from the creation Of [fidiya]. Thus perished the seventh miracle of light…
When from the monument it does not remain and track, appears temptation (frequently justified) to assign its existence to human imagination. A similar lot did not pass and the statue of Zeus, especially as from it was not preserved copies.
In order to ascertain that the statue of Zeus existed and there was precisely such as contemporaries described, one ought to have found at least indirect evidence of its creation.
In our time was already made the attempt to find the workshop Of [fidiya]. The construction of this statue required many years of work, and therefore To [fidiyu] and to its numerous assistants was necessary solid accomodation. The statue of Zeus - not marble chunk, which can be left to the winter under the open sky.
The attention of German archaeologists, who carried out excavations in the Olympiuses, drew the remainders of the antique building, reconstructed into the byzantine Christian church. Inspecting building, they were convinced of the fact that was precisely here arranged the workshop - rock construction, with a little been inferior according to the sizes to temple itself. In it, in particular, found the implements of the labor of sculptors and jewelers and the remainders of foundry “shop”. But the most interesting findings are made on the proximity with the workshop - in the pit, where withdrawals and rejected parts of statues were dropped during many hundreds years of master. There it was possible to find the poured forms of the toga of Zeus, many plates of ivory, chippings of semiprecious stones, bronze and iron nails - on the whole, complete and indisputable confirmation so that in this workshop Of [fidiy] it precisely prepared the statue of Zeus, moreover precisely such, as said ancient. And in the completion of all proofs in the heap of repulsions archaeologists found the header of the jug, on which were scratched out the words: I " belong To [fidiyu]”.
