Approximately how tall was the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, including its throne?

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was approximately 13 metres tall, including its throne.

The seated figure was created by the Greek sculptor Phidias and installed in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia during the 5th century BC. Ancient descriptions portray Zeus as a monumental seated god holding a figure of Nike and a sceptre, with the statue’s scale nearly filling the temple’s interior.

Its construction used the chryselephantine technique: gold covered the drapery and ivory formed the exposed flesh. A wooden framework supported these precious materials. The throne itself was also elaborately decorated, adding to the statue’s overall height and visual impact.

The statue no longer survives. Ancient sources and later writers provide the basis for its reconstruction, so published estimates can vary slightly. The commonly cited figure is about 13 metres, not the height of a standing statue outdoors.