The statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and seemed as a focal point for visitors to Olympia. A source says that ‘the statue of Zeus at Olympia was an ideal representation of the high Classical style of art, and a significant reminder of the strength of Greek religion’. The seated statue occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 40 feet (12m) tall, to create an image that Zeus were to stand up, the clearly articulated qualities of early classical sculpture made it very effective for storytelling. A source states that it was decided the temple alone was too simple to be worthy of the King of the gods. To remedy this, a statue of Zeus was specially made for the interior.
Symbolic Value: The Parthenon is an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and of Athenian Democracy which is regarded as one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments. Athena’s epithet parthenos refers to the goddess’s unmarried and virginal status. The Parthenon, alongside other buildings on the Acropolis, is now one of the most visited archaeological sites in Greece. According to building records, the metope sculptures date to the year 446-400BC. The metopes of the east side of the Parthenon, above the main entrance, depict the ‘Gigantomachy’- the mythical battle of the Athenians against the Amazons. The metopes of the south side show the ‘Thessalian Centauromachy’- battle of the Lapiths aided by Theseus against the half-man, half-horse Centaurs. On the north side of the Parthenon the metopes are poorly preserved, but the subject seems to be the sack of Troy. The east pediment narrates the birth of Athena from the head of her father, Zeus, whereas the west pediment presents the dispute of Athena and Poseidon over the city of Athens. The Parthenon’s spiritual quality is heightened by the lack of a single, straight, vertical line in the peristyle. In the sixth century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church inscribed to the virgin. After the Turkish conquest, it was transposed into a mosque. The statue of Zeus inside the Temple of Zeus at Olympia which exemplifies that Zeus was to stand up holds significance. In Zeus’s right there was a small statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, and in his left hand, a shining scepter on which an eagle perched. But the main symbolic element which is highlighted by both the temples is different. The Parthenon uses the metopes and its pediments to illustrate its main symbolic value which is Ancient Greece and Athenian Democracy. On the other hand the Temple of Zeus at Olympia uses the metopes aswell as the statue of Zeus itself to adorn the symbolic value of the ancient version of the Olympic Games.
Through secondary sources I found out that the most characteristic feature in the architecture and decoration of the Parthenon is the ‘Ionic frieze running around the exterior walls of the cella. Carved in bas-relief, it most likely depicts an idealized version of the Panathenaic procession from the Dipylon Gate in the Kerameikos to the Acropolis.’
The sculpture on the east end embellishes the mythical chariot race, overseen by the god itself, between Pelops, whom the Greeks called the founder of the Olympic Games, and Oenomaos, a king of Pisa. Above both porches, the metopes display scenes from the Twelve Labors of Heracles, whose strength made him an important figure for the athletes.
Purpose/Religious cultural elements: Although both the Greek temples main purpose would’ve been seen as a place of worship, there are also other things linked to their purpose and religious significance.
There is no evidence as such that I have found which shows that the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was anything more than a temple and was made only to house the Statue of Zeus. And also the Olympic Games were considered to be part of religious rituals that revolved around the King of gods, Zeus. ‘So it was only fitting that a grand temple and an even grander cult representation were constructed for the many Greeks who made pilgrimages there in order to worship their father god’.
But the Parthenon is not just a temple, apart from the fact that it contained the famous cult image of Athena by Phidias and the treasury of votive offerings. Since actual Greek sacrifices always took place at an altar invariably under an open sky, as was in keeping with their religious practices, the Parthenon does not suit some definitions of ‘temple,’ as no evidence of an altar has been discovered. So some scholars have argued that the Parthenon was only ever used as a treasury. While this opinion was first formed late in the 19th century, it has gained strength in recent years. The majority of scholarly opinion still sees the building in the terms Walter Burkert described for the Greek sanctuary, ‘consisting of temenos, altar and temple with cult image,’ this can be compared to the religious statue of Athena, because maybe if the Parthenon wasn’t a temple then a statue of Athena would’ve not been present.
The richness of the Parthenon’s frieze and metope decoration is in agreement with the function of the temple as a treasury. In the opisthodomus (the back room of the cella) were stored the monetary contributions of the Delian League of which Athens was the leading member.
Therefore the difference can be easily spotted through the purpose and religious significance of both temples. The Parthenon doesn’t have an alter and was used as a treasury whereas the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was merely just a temple built to house the Statue of Zeus and host the Olympics.
Social space: The Parthenon was not a place open to the masses. But was designed in such a way to be only seen from the outside. The viewers never entered the temple and could only glimpse the interior statues through the open doors.
The statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and seemed as a focal point for visitors to Olympia. The Greek orator Dio Chrysostom wrote that ‘a single glimpse of the statue would make a man forget his earthly troubles’. At the time of Games, wars stopped, and athletes came from Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Sicily to celebrate the Olympics and to worship their king of gods, Zeus. The site of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia also consisted of a stadium (for the games) and a sacred grove, or Altis, where temples were located. This shows that the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was used as a social space and people were allowed to enter the grounds and hold the Olympics over there. Common people alongside foreigners were permitted to have a glance at the actual statue itself. Many Greeks made pilgrimages there in order to worship their father god.
Whereas the Parthenon was quite strict in allowing people to enter its premises and viewing its internals. The Parthenon is more likely to be used for political reasons rather than religious reasons and the common people, nevertheless the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was more religious based and allowed the common people and foreigners to enjoy the temples advantages but had less to do with the political world, because I haven’t found a source in which it shows the Temple of Zeus at Olympia to also be involved in political operations.
Political Functions: The Parthenon was clearly used for political actions. It had a treasury based inside one of the small rooms at the back and the masses were forbidden to enter. Alongside the Parthenon being used as a place where they kept their money, they also made decisions for money at the site. So it had more of democratic significance, this is understandable because as compared to its main symbolic value which was Ancient Greece and Athenian Democracy, one of the Parthenon’s main function should’ve been related to politics.
However the Temple of Zeus at Olympia didn’t have any political functions as such that I have found. The temple in actual fact wasn’t based on democracy or anything similar but was to do with physical power, so again its understandable if it didn’t have anything to do with politics and didn’t have political role.
Conclusion: Through all the sources that I have studied, I am able to differentiate the two Greek temples noticeably. The two Greek temples are unlike in many aspects. The Parthenon reflects Ancient Greece and Athenian Democracy; it portrays this theme in a number of various ways. Through its metopes, pediments etc. it’s a Doric temple alongside the elegancy of the Ionic architectural features. It was used as a treasury and as a place where decisions of money were made and had more political significance than religious and cultural importance. The richness of the Parthenon’s frieze and metope decoration is in agreement with the function of the temple as a treasury. It was forbidden for common masses to enter the Parthenon and view its interior, the only way they could view the inside was through the open doors.
On the contrary, the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was an example of pure Doric features, making it less elegant and eye-catching to the public in comparison to the Parthenon. It illustrated its main symbolic value of the ongoing struggle for power in Ancient Greece through its metope and one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the statue of the King of gods, Zeus. The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was a typical Greek sanctuary built to house the statue of Zeus and let pilgrimages enter and worship their father god. Its grounds were also used to host the Olympics. Visitors were allowed to enter the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and glance and the statue. The site of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia also consisted of a stadium (for the games) and a sacred grove, or Altis, where temples were located. This shows that the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was used as a social space and people were allowed to enter. The Temple of Zeus at Olympia didn’t have any political functions, due to the temple not being based on democracy and because it was mainly made for the masses and as a religious usage.
The two Greek temples can be identified separately to a great deal. Their differences are so highlighted that it is to the highest degree possible to explain the differences between them.
Bibliography
Websites:
Wikipedia.org
Perseus.tufts.edu
Oncampus.richmond.edu
Unmuseum.mus.pa.us/ztemp.htm
Ancienthistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_statue_of_zeus_at_olympia