"helpedto" - 1 õppematerjal

The statue of Zeus at Olympia

The statue of Zeus at Olympia Zeus wa considered to be the father of the gods and mortals.He was lord of the sky, the rain god and the cloud gatherer, who wielded a terrible thunderbolt. In ancient times The Olympic Games were arranged in honour of Zeus.The athletes travelled from distant lands to compete in the games.The Olympics were started in 776 B.C. and held at a shrine to Zeus on the western coast of Greece in Peloponnesus.The games were held every four years, helpedto unify Greek city-states. A sacred truce was declared during the games, and wars were stopped.Safe passage were given to all traveling to the site, called Olympia, for the season of the games. The site consisted of a stadium and a sacred grove, or Altis, where temples were located.The shrine to Zeus was simple in the early years but as time went by a new larger temple, one worthy of the King of the gods were needed. Between 470 and 460 B.C., construction on a new temple was started.