Temple of Olympian Zeus

Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus has a rich history from ancient times and is known to have been inhabited since the prehistoric age. The establishment of this sacred ground is dated back to the legendary age of Deucalion.

Around 515 B.C. building began on a monument temple by Peisistratos the Younger but never came to fruition due to the collapse of his tyranny. An attempt at continuing the work – which was to be none other than the Temple of Olympian Zeus – was much later by the Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 174 B.C. but was finally completed at the bequest of the Emperor Hadrian in 124/125 A.D.

The same emperor placed inside the Temple of Zeus a gigantic Chryselephantine statue of Zeus (by Phidias) as well as a large statue of his own likeness.

Excavations on the site of the temple took place from 1883 through 1960, while during newer restoration projects; much of the surrounding area was rebuilt but kept true to its ancient form.

 

Temple of Olympian Zeus
Olympieion
The Arch of Hadrian
More monuments of Temple of Olympian Zeus



▶︎ Acropolis & Parthenon
▶︎ Odeon of Herodes Atticus
▶︎ Theater of Dionysus
▶︎ Ancient Agora & Hephaestus Temple
▶︎ Roman Agora & Hadrian's Library
▶︎ Temple of Olympian Zeus
▶︎ Kerameikos (Ancient Cemetery)
▶︎ Kallimarmaro (Ancient Marble Stadium)
▶︎ Lyceum of Aristotles
▶︎ Academy of Plato
▶︎ Areopagus (Ancient Court)
▶︎ Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
▶︎ Pnyx (Birthplace of Democracy)
▶︎ Monument of Phillopappou
▶︎ Ancient Sights nearby Athens