The monumental style sculpture and statues from the temple of Zeus in Olympia are amongst the most important of the classical Greek period. Although no one piece of sculpture survives intact, archaeologists have reconstructed the excavated remains in the Museum of Olympia.

Amongst the surviving remains are the pediment entablatures- the sculpted friezes on the triangular ends of the temple roof and the metopes that ran along the top of the temple wall. These friezes depict scenes from Greek mythology that conveyed important messages about the temple and the importance of Olympia in the Greek world.

Of the statues, Nike is the best surviving example. The cult statue of Zeus is lost, but descriptions of it suggest it was the most impressive piece of all.

The East Pediment: The Chariot Race of Pelops and Oinomaos

This scene adorned the front pediment of the temple. It depicts a Greek myth directly related to Olympia and its famous games.

The frieze tells the story of the chariot race between king Oinomaos and Pelops. Oinomaos had a daughter, Hippodameia, who he was unwilling to part with, so he set all her suitors impossible tasks. He challenged one of the suitors, Pelops, to a chariot race against him. The king was sure he would win as he had magical help, but he did not consider the fact Hippodameia had fallen in love with Pelops.

Hippodameia persuaded the king’s charioteer, Myrtilios, to change the linchpins in her father’s chariot for wax ones, which he agreed to do as he was in love with her. 

The race was run, Oinomaos died, and Pelops also murdered the unfortunate Myrtilios to cover his and Hippodameia’s tracks. But before he died, the duped charioteer cursed Pelops and his bride to be — a couple who became the ancestors of so many of the main characters of Greek tragedy.

The frieze is symmetrically balanced, with activity decreasing from the centre outwards. It features six human figures and a fourteen horse chariot on either side. Pelops and Oinomaos stand centrally, flanked by kneeling figures offering service to the main characters. Next are seated figures central to the myth but not playing an active part in the scene in question and reclining figures who are disinterested spectators.

The two opponents are offering sacrifices and swearing to abide by the rules of the race at the altar of Zeus. This scene represented an actual ritual of the ancient Olympic Games that the onlookers could identify with.

The West Pediment: The Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs.

The relevance of this scene to the temple is that it features one of Zeus’s descendants. Peirithoos, the god’s grandson, is the hero of a myth that demonstrates the triumph of civilisation over barbarism.

The context of the scene is the wedding feast of Peirithoos, King of the Lapiths. He and his bride Deidamia are celebrating with their guests, which includes a group of centaurs. The centaurs later become inappropriately drunk and attack the Lapith women. However, Peirithoos and his friend, Theseus, eventually subdue the beasts.

The scene shows the fight itself, employing the same principle of diminishing activity as the east pediment. An interesting feature of this frieze is the faces of the participants. The centaur’s faces are contorted with the effort of the fight while the Lapith’s expressions remain calm. This contrast demonstrates that virtue aids the Lapith’s in their fight while the barbarian centaurs struggle because of their wrongdoing.

The theme of the frieze is also a political analogy relevant to the time of the temple’s construction, reflecting the triumph of Greek civilisation over external “barbarian” forces.

The Metopes — The Twelve Labours of Heracles

The adventures of another of Zeus’s human relations appear on the metopes of his temple — this time the labours of his son, Heracles. 

The subject of Heracles has particular significance to the site of Olympia. Heracles was a son of Zeus and a great-grandson of Pelops and with him one of the legendary founders of the Olympic Games. He was also a local hero, and one of his legendary labours — the cleaning of the stables of king Augeias — took place in the area of Olympia.

The scenes on the metopes divide into two groups of six: those labours that occurred in the Peloponnese and those which happened ‘abroad’. The depiction of each labour is skilfully concise, with only two or three figures in each scene due to the limited size of the metopes.

The Nike of Paionios

Preserved in the museum of Olympia, the face of this statue, crafted by the sculpture Paionios, is lost, but what remains of the statue conveys a sense of its original magnificence. The statue was the central akroterion of the east pediment. Originally, the Nike stood at over 10 metres and was gilded. It is the oldest surviving monumental Nike in Greece.

The Statue of Zeus by Pheidias

This statue, created by the master sculptor Pheidias around 430 BC, was one of the wonders of the ancient world. It is described as depicting Zeus on his throne, holding a small Nike in his hand. Made of ivory and gold over a wooden frame (chryselephantine), the statue was so large it reached the temple’s roof. Unfortunately, it was moved to Constantinople and destroyed when the Lauseion, which housed it, caught fire in 476AD.

Resources

Athanasia and Nicolaos Yalouris, (1995), Olympia: Guide to the Museum and the Sanctuary. Ekdotike Athenon s.a: Athens