Top 10 Facts about the Temple of Olympian Zeus

By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about the Temple of Olympian Zeus

This temple is located in the south-east part of Athens and is close to the River Ilissos. Its location, downtown Athens, gives it proximity to several other historical landmarks.

The temple of Olympian Zeus is one attraction that gets thousands of visitors annually.

The temple not only tells of the religious practices and culture of Ancient Athenians but is the largest temple in Greece.

To the ancient Greeks, Zeus was the King of the gods and men. The temple was built in honour of god Zeus although it took a very long time to finish.

Today, what is left of the Temple of Olympian Zeus are a few statues and tall columns. Despite the earthquake that ravaged the area, some of the columns still stand.

Its architectural design depicts the ancient Greek style which used long columns.

Check out these top 10 facts about the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens.

1. The Temple is part of the Acropolis

By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra – Wikimedia

The location where the Temple of Olympian Zeus is is part of the Athens Acropolis.

This location is filled with historical artefacts. Archaeological excavations revealed that human settlement in the area dates back to the Neolithic period.

A famous Greek explorer believed that this temple was built by Deukalion, the son of Prometheus from the Greek mythology.

Between 561 and 527 BC, Pisistratus was the ruler of ancient Athens. In 515, he started building the temple following the Doric architecture.

The plan of the temple was made Antiastates, Callaeschrus, and Antimachides. They were Greek architects.

2. Construction of the temple was abandoned for some time

Once the foundation of the temple was laid, Pisistratus’ son who was the ruler, was overthrown. The temple was left unfinished.

This Temple was the largest in Greece at that time. In ancient Greece, people believed that having such massive buildings went against democracy.

One famous philosopher, Aristotle, was quoted saying that the state used its people to work. This left the people with no time to criticize bad governance since all their time is dedicated to the state.

Construction of the Temple resumed in the 3^rd century BC, this was when the Macedonian dominated Greece. King Antiochus IV of Syria was the patron.

He commissioned a Roman architect, Cossutius to further design the temple. Unfortunately, King Antiochus died in 164 BC and the construction was abandoned.

3. It took six centuries to complete the Temple of Olympian Zeus

By Evan-Amos – Wikimedia

Just like the towering Acropolis, the temple of Olympian Zeus has always been a distinctive Athenian landmark.

Construction of the temple was started by Peisistratus and his sons who left it unfinished after their death.

It was picked up by Athens Hellenistic ruler, King Antiochus between 174 and 164 BC. The work stopped after he died.

The Roman emperor Hadrian completed the temple in 132 AD. This ruler was greatly respected by the Greeks.

He not only completed the largest temple in the land but also built a public forum with a library and lecture halls. He also constructed an urban water system. It supplied the city with water until the 1930s.

4. The Temple of Olympian Zeus was destroyed by a storm and an earthquake

This temple has had its fair share of destruction. An earthquake that occurred in the medieval times took apart the building materials.

The temple suffered more damage during the Turkish occupation and the first decades of the Greek State.

In 1852, a bad storm destroyed the cella and the great statue of Zeus. One of the 16 columns fell and broke to pieces.

The destruction of the temple made the people believe that it was a sign of bad things that were going to happen.

As if to confirm the superstitions, Athens experienced the worst cholera outbreak a few years later.

The temple was restored in the 19^th century. Greek and German archaeologists took part in the restoration process.

5. A barbarian invasion led to vandalism of the Temple

By Pierre-Gustave Joly – Wikimedia

This beautiful temple got vandalised in 267 AD after the barbarians invaded it.

They plundered the temple leaving it bare, this was about a century after King Hadrian completed the temple.

By the end of the Byzantine period, in the middle 15th century, only 21 of the 104 columns had survived.

The temple was abandoned, in ruins and was never repaired. The situation worsened after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Materials from the temple were used as building materials for other projects.  

6. There were several statues at the Temple of Olympian Zeus

The temple and its surrounding area were adorned with several statues depicting King Hadrian, the gods, and images of the Roman provinces.

There was a gigantic statue of Hadrian behind the temple. This was built in honour of the King’s generosity to the people of Athens.

Another huge statue of Zeus was at the cella of the temple. The statues were made using chryselephantine.

7. Corinthian-style Arch of Hadrian acted like a gate

By A.Savin – Wikimedia

The colossal, Corinthian-style Arch of Hadrian was used to mark a ceremonial transition from original Athens to the new Roman suburb of Hadrianopolis.

There were Greek inscriptions on either side of the arch.

On the Acropolis side, it read ‘This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus’, while on the other side it read ‘This is the city of Hadrian, and not of Theseus’.

8. The remaining columns of the Temple have been featured in several artworks

First, there were 104 columns, then 24 and now 15, the 16^th lies on the ground broken. These 15 columns have for the longest time been part of the Athenian skyline.

It has inspired several artists who featured them in their artworks. Photographs and sketches.  

9. Monks lived in the Temple of Olympian Zeus

By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra – Wikimedia

The temple was abandoned after being used as a barracks for some time.

Its new occupants were the Stylite monks. The first record of these monks living here was in the early 19^th century.

This was according to Edward Dodwell, a painter and explorer. These monks were said to live a very frugal lifestyle, hence their choice of the abandoned temple.

They lived on top of the tall columns and would use baskets to receive food gifts from the people that visited the temple.

10. A concert was held at the Temple

By Evan-Amos – Wikimedia

The Temple of Olympian Zeus has become a popular venue for concerts.

In 2001, Vangelis organized the Mythodea Chorus at the Temple of Olympian Zeus. This was during NASA’s Mars mission.

The concert was covered by 20 television networks from America, Australia, Canada, Japan and European countries, under the direction of Irish filmmaker Declan Looney.

Thousands of people showed up at the temple and on the streets in Athens. They were dressed in ancient Greek clothing.