Phidias or Pheidias was an Athenian sculptor who lived between 490-425BC. Famous for his statues of Athena in the Parthenon and Zeus at Olympia, he is probably the most renowned sculptor of classical antiquity.

Most of his major works are lost. But Phidias survives in the archaeological record. Fragments remain of his work on the Parthenon friezes and commemorative works of the Battle of Marathon. Archaeologists have also identified and excavated his workshop at Olympia.

Phidias’s Statues

Phidias was a master of several different mediums. He produced bronze and marble sculptures and was also renowned for his skill as a painter, engraver, and metalworker.

His identifiable works that survive from antiquity are fragmentary. Amongst them are part of a group of bronze statues dedicated at Delphi to commemorate the Battle of Marathon and the Parthenon friezes, which he is credited with designing, even if he did not execute them himself.

His lost works include the bronze statue of Athena Promachos, which stood on the Acropolis in Athens and his two great works in gold and ivory: the statue of Athena within the Parthenon and the statue of Zeus at Olympia. Both survive in the descriptions of Pausanias.

Athena of the Parthenon

Pericles commissioned Phidias to work on the decoration of the Parthenon. The temple’s statue of Athena was begun in 447BC and completed in 438BC.

The statue was 12m high and stood on a base carved with reliefs of the birth of Pandora. The goddess herself was completed in fantastic decorative detail. Athena was shown with a Nike in her right hand and a spear and shield in her left. On the outside of her shield were battling amazons whilst inside giants fought. The aegis of the goddess was decorated with a gorgon’s head. Her helmet had a sphinx and two carvings of Pegasus. Even the goddess’s sandals were carved —with Lapiths and centaurs.

The Statue of Zeus 

Phidias arrived in Olympia, having fled Athens after being found guilty of using both himself and Pericles as models for figures on the shield of Athena. He was immediately commissioned to work on the statue of Zeus.

This statue exceeded even that of Athena. Zeus was depicted seated on a throne carved with graces, hours and victories, resting on a base depicting the birth of Athena. He, too, held a Nike in his right hand, but he had a sceptre in his left, signifying his kingship of the Olympian gods.

Phidias’s Workshop at Olympia

West of the temple of Zeus, just outside the sacred precinct or Altis, is the workshop of Phidias. Its excavation has unearthed many items involved in producing the now lost statue of Zeus. Large numbers of bone tools and a goldsmith’s hammer were discovered, along with glass ornaments.

Several moulds have also been found that were used to create the lost masterpiece. They include clay moulds for folds of drapery and decorative glass. Some of the glass moulds still had fragments of glass in them. The finds are preserved in the museum of Olympia.

One find is more personal. Inscribed with the words “I belong to Phidias,” it is the great sculptor’s wine cup.

Sources

Gates, C, 2003 Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge: London and New York.

Hazel, J, 2002 Who’s Who in the Greek World. Routledge: London and New York

Pausanias, Guide to Greece, Trans P Levi, vols 1 and 2. Penguin classics. Harmondsworth: Penguin

Yalouris, A & N, 1995 Olympia: Guide to the Museum and the Sanctuary. Ekdotike Athenon s.a: Athens.