Which wonder was a massive statue of Zeus at Olympia?

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The wonder that was a massive statue of Zeus at Olympia is the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Created by the Greek sculptor Phidias around 435 BC, the statue stood inside the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, the sanctuary associated with the ancient Olympic Games. It portrayed Zeus seated on an elaborate throne and was roughly 12 to 13 metres tall, making the figure appear large enough to dominate the temple's interior.

The statue was a chryselephantine sculpture, meaning its wooden framework was covered with plates of ivory and sheets of gold. Zeus held a figure of Nike, the goddess of victory, in one hand and a sceptre in the other. The throne was decorated with materials including ebony, ivory, gold, and precious stones. Ancient writers praised the work as a supreme achievement of Greek artistic skill.

The statue was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It should not be confused with the Colossus of Rhodes, another ancient wonder that depicted the sun god Helios standing near Rhodes harbour. The Statue of Zeus was eventually lost, probably after the sanctuary declined and the sculpture was destroyed or damaged during Late Antiquity; no complete original survives.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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