Phidias

Andrew Reyes Ancient Humanities Professor Hubbs July 22, 2010 Phidias The name Phidias will be remembered for the rest of time. Phidias was a sculptor born around 490 BC. Phidias is often recognized as a the most renown ancient Greek sculptors. While there are no originals of his work remaining, his reputation has been made well known through various writings. Most of the writings give praise to Phidias. His two greatest contributions came from sculptures; one of Athena, and the other of Zeus. Phidias was a man recognized for his talents, it is a shame that this generation or generations to come will never get to see his work first hand. Phidias’ work on Athena was marveled upon for centuries. Phidias’ colossal statue of Athena was housed in the Parthenon and was displayed the symbol of Athens. It is believed that the statue was damaged in several fires and eventually was burned beyond repair around the fifth century. The statue was believed to be of great stature and heavy in gold. The sculpture was assembled on a wooden core, covered with shaped bronze plates covered in turn with removable gold plates, save for the ivory surfaces of the goddess's face and arms; the gold weighed 44 talents, the equivalent of about 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg); the Athena Parthenos embodied a sizeable part of the treasury of Athens (Phidias, 2010). ” The Second contribution was similar to Athena. Zeus was erected in the temple of Zeus in approximately 432 BC. Similar to Athena it was a chryselephantine, meaning that is was both gold and ivory. At one point Zeus’ statue was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In 1954 a great discovery was found; the location of Phidias’ workshop was found in Olympia. “Tools, terracotta moulds and a cup inscribed ‘I belong to Phidias’… This has enabled archaeologists to re-create the techniques used to make the great work and confirm its date. (Phidias, 2010)” Phidias’s hard work and dedication to the gods allowed the statue to be well regarded throughout all of Greece. Phidias was not limited to the two sculptures; he also helped create other works of art. Phidias directed and supervised the construction of the temple [Parthenon] over a period of more than ten years… (Fiero, 2006). ” The Parthenon is where the statue of Athena was erected, and is believed to have been a remarkable site to see when it was intact. Phidias also contributed a tribute to Marathon. Marathon ran 26 miles to Athens to tell of Greece’s win over the Persians. “Fragments remain of his [Phidias] work on the Parthenon friezes and commemorative works of the battle of marathon (Sheldon, 2010). Phidias works have helped shape architecture to what it is today. Even in the earliest of times Phidias was able to construct marvels such as the Parthenon, the Statue of Athena, and the Statue of Zeus. His sculpture skills and architecture abilities have led him to be one of the most influential artists to have ever walked the face of the earth. It would be hard to say that there is an architect or an artist today that has not been influenced in some way by the great Phidias. ? Bibliography Eddy, S. (1977). The Gold in the Athena Parthenos . American Journal of Archaeology , 107-111. Fiero, G. K. (2006). The Humanistic Tradition. New York: Mcgraw-Hill. Phidias. (2010). Retrieved July 22, 2010, from Wikipedia: https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Statue_of_Zeus_at_Olympia Sheldon, N. (2010, June 28). Phidias: The Most Famous Scupltor of Ancient Greece. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from Suite101. com: https://archaeology. suite101. com/article. cfm/phidias-the-most-famous-sculptor-of-ancient-greece

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