Temple Of Zeus Research Articles

VLF-R studies in the Agora of Magnesia archaeological site, Aydin, Turkey

Very low frequency wave-resistivity (VLF-R) method has been widely used for near surface and archaeological prospection over the last two decades. Shallow buried structures that show resistivity variation with respect to a surrounding medium could be determined with VLF-R. It is also a particularly rapid and cost-effective technique for collecting data on large-scale exploration. VLF-R studies were carried out in the Agora of Magnesia archaeological site (Aydin, Turkey) in order to determine the location and depth of ruins of the temple of Zeus. After performing theoretical studies to test the inversion algorithm, apparent resistivity and phase data were collected with three different frequencies and a laterally constrained two-layer inversion process was applied to each station. In addition to the inversion of all profiles for each frequency, all lines were stacked within a precise resistivity interval to obtain a 3D view of the structure. An excavation site is recommended after achieving the location of the temple.

THE COMPLETE VIRTUAL 3D RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EAST PEDIMENT OF THE TEMPLE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA

Abstract. The arrangement of the five central figures of the east pediment of the temple of Zeus at Olympia has been the subject of scholarly debates since the discovery of the fragments more than a century ago. In theory, there are four substantially different arrangements, all of which have already been selected by certain scholars for various aesthetic, technical and other considerations. The present project tries to approach this controversy in a new way, by producing a virtual 3D reconstruction of the group. Digital models of the statues were produced by scanning the original fragments and by reconstructing them virtually. For this purpose an innovative new software (Leonar3Do) has also been employed. The virtual model of the pediment surrounding the sculptures was prepared on the basis of the latest architectural studies and afterwards the reconstructed models were inserted in this frame, in order to test the technical feasibility and aesthetic effects the four possible arrangements. The paper gives an overview of the entire work and presents the final results suggesting that two arrangements can be ruled out due to the limited space available in the pediment.

Reconstructions of the East Pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia – A Comparison of Drawings, Plaster Casts and Digital Models

The arrangement of the five central figures of the East pediment of the temple of Zeus at Olympia has been the subject of scholarly debates since the discovery of the fragments more than a century ago. In theory, there are four substantially different arrangements, all of which have already been selected by certain scholars for various aesthetic, technical and other considerations. The reconstructions were visualized most frequently in drawings or in plaster models (on a reduced scale or in the original size), which have partly survived in Dresden, but did not receive appropriate attention during the last decades. Most recently the team of a three-years research project lead by the author tried to approach the controversy in a new way, by producing a virtual 3D reonstruction of the group. Digital models of the statues were produced by scanning the original fragments and by reconstructing them virtually. The virtual model of the pediment surrounding the sculptures was prepared on the basis of the latest architectural studies and afterwards the reconstructed models were inserted into this frame, in order to test the technical feasibility and aesthetic effects the four possible arrangements. Finally, the plaster models of the same pieces of ancient sculpture made at the end of the 19th century were also digitized and in this way they could be compared with the digital reconstruction produced during the present project. This paper presents a brief history of research, the final results of the digital reconstruction project and offers a comparison with the earlier attempts achieved by other methods. The advantages of the digital models can be thus fully appreciated.

Olympian Dreams

Olympian Dreams

The Virtual 3D Reconstruction of the East Pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia – Presentation of an Interactive CD-ROM

The paper gives an overview of a two-years project concerning a major monument of ancient Greek art and presents the interactive, bilingual (English/Hungarian) CD-ROM, which is intended to summarize and visualize its final results. The presented project approaches a century-old controversy in a new way by producing a virtual 3D reconstruction of a monumental marble group. Digital models of the statues were produced by scanning the original fragments and by reconstructing them virtually. The virtual model of the pediment surrounding the sculptures was prepared on the basis of the latest architectural studies and afterwards the reconstructed models were inserted in this frame, in order to test the technical feasibility and aesthetic effects the four possible arrangements. The resulting models enable easy and very instructive experimentation, which would be otherwise impossible with the originals and/or very expensive and not very practicable with traditional tools (e.g. real-size plaster models). The complete model can effectively be used to verify the results of earlier or more recent reconstructions presented only in simple drawings. In addition, the 3D models of the individual fragments can be used for further research and for visualization. The documentary CD-ROM presenting the full background, the methods and the conclusions of the project contains beside a comprehensive text various kinds of supporting documents (images, 3D models, papers, broadcasts, audiovisual material). It is addressed to a mixed audience: a picture gallery, a short documentary movie some other attachments including a selected bibliography is intended for the general public, but scholarly publications, presentations on related problems are also included for specialists interested in certain details.

An Experimental Study of the Mechanical Behaviour of the ‘Conchyliates’ Shell‐Stone: Some Irregularities of the Size Effects

Abstract: A detailed experimental study of the size effect, i.e. of the dependence of the mechanical properties on the size of the (self‐similar) specimens used for the laboratory tests is presented in this paper for the case of a relatively soft natural building stone called ‘conchyliates’ (shell‐stone). ‘Conchyliates’ was used by ancient Greeks for the erection of the Zeus Temple at the Olympia archaeological site. The motive of the study was the need of the scientists working for a partial restoration of the monument for an in‐depth knowledge of the mechanical behaviour of both the original building material of the monument as well as of the material that could be used for the completion of damaged structural elements. During the study various classes of cylindrical ‘conchyliates’ specimens were subjected to uniaxial (unconfined) compression. It was concluded that the dependence of the peak stress of the material on the size of the specimen is not only very strong but it appears to be, also, non‐monotonous. In addition it was indicated that the size of the specimens also influences the elasticity modulus as well as the strain energy density in a more or less similar manner. On the contrary it is concluded that the slope of the strain energy density plotted versus strain is not seriously affected by the size of the specimen, at least for the working‐load portion of the stress‐strain graph.

‘God or some human’

‘God or some human (Θeὸς ἤ τις ἀνθρώπων)—strangers, who is given credit for laying down your laws?’ This is the opening line of Plato’s Laws. The question was asked by the Athenian Stranger.1 The two other speakers (a Cretan and a Spartan) reply as follows: Kleinias: A god, stranger, a god—at any rate to say what is most just. For us it is Zeus, while for the Spartans, where this man is from, I think they claim it is Apollo. Is that so? Megillus: Yes.2 (i 624a) The Athenian asks about the Homeric story according to which Minos meets with Zeus every nine years to receive help in establishing laws for Crete (624b; cf. Odyssey xix 178-179). The Platonic dialogue Minos 319e makes explicit what is left to implication here, namely, that these meetings took place at the cave of Zeus.3 The Athenian says that it would be pleasant to discuss ‘political systems and laws’ (πολιτeίας...καὶ νόμων, Laws i 625a), and suggests that the three of them should do so while walking the distance from Knossos (where the Laws begins) ‘to the cave and temple of Zeus’ (625b). Kleinias and Megillus agree.4 I want to show: (1) that the opening of the Laws presents what is, according to Plato in this dialogue, the sole alternative (‘god or some human’) in answering the question: what is the source of proper or genuine law?5; (2) that just as Ancient Philosophy 31 (2011) ©Mathesis Publications 311

The sacred groves of ancient Greece

The sacred groves of ancient Greece

Experimental study of the size- and shape-effects of natural building stones

The dependence of the mechanical properties of natural building stones on the size and the shape of the specimens is studied experimentally. Attention is focused to the Kefalonia porous stone, a candidate substitute of the Kenchreae porous stone used by ancient Greeks for the erection of the Epidaurean Asklepieion. Series of uniaxial compression tests were carried out using both cubic and cylindrical specimens of various sizes. A number of mechanical properties were determined including the peak stress, the modulus of elasticity, the stress drop after the peak stress, the peak strain and the strain energy density up to the peak load. A strong dependence of the above properties on both the dimensions and the shape of the specimens was concluded. In addition, it was indicated that the dependence of some of the above properties on the size of the specimens is not monotonous. The conclusions drawn are in good agreement with similar ones obtained for Dionysos marble, the material used today for the restoration of the Parthenon temple of Athens as well as for the “Conchyliates” shell-stone the material that has been used for the construction of the Zeus Temple at Olympia.

Editorial

Editorial

Art, myth, and ritual in classical Greece

1. The temple of Zeus at Olympia, heroic models, and the Panhellenic sanctuary 2. The Athenian Akropolis, female power, and state religion 3. Making heroes in Athenian agora 4. Myth and religion at Delphi 5. The cult of the individual and the realm of the dead.

Technical Observations on the Sculptures from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

This article is © The American School of Classical Studies at Athens and was originally published in Hesperia 78 (2009), pp. 41–105. This offprint is supplied for personal, non-commercial use only. The definitive electronic version of the article can be found at .

Roman Portrait Statuary from Aphrodisias (Aphrodisias II) by R. R. R. Smith, Sheila Dillon, Christopher H. Hallett, Julia Lenaghan, Julie Van Voorhis

218 PHOENIX not give it the attention it deserves as an important precursor to hellenistic hydraulic engineering.10 The material,both text(464 pp.) and images (429figs.), is includedina singlevolume; consequently, quality is sacrificed to quantity. Plans of sanctuaries, for example, have been reduced to such a small scale that it is difficult to identify and evaluate individual plans of monuments such as the temple of Asklepios, the temple of Zeus at Dodona, and the Metroon atOlympia (6,figs.108, 77, and 15).The qualityof theblack andwhite photos alsovariesas indicated by theimageofLabraynda,fig.53,while infig.180 itisdifficult to identify the leaf capital in the Stoa ofAttalos. Two volumes, one for the text and a second for the images, would have complemented thiswork. These editorial observations in no way diminish the value of this text as an important starting point for the study of hellenistic architecture for both students and scholars alike. This project is, indeed, an admirable undertaking, for it covers architectural developments over a span of more than three centuries in a very broad geographical area where diverse cultures contributed to the development of hellenistic architectural forms. Given the broad scope of this study, the author was faced with various challenges concerning the selection of sites, monuments, and bibliographical sources which on account of publication procedures may not have been up to date, a point that he raises in his preface. Winters response to these challenges, however, highlights the significance of his work and ranks it as an important addition to every classical library. University of New Brunswick Maria Papaioannou Roman Portrait Statuary from Aphrodisias (Aphrodisias II). By R. R. R. Smith, with Sheila Dillon, Christopher H. Hallett, Julia Lenaghan, and Julie Van Voorhis. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern. 2006. Pp. xiv, 338, 163 pis., and 27 %s. With interest piqued by season reports, certain focused studies, and the sculpture galleries of the museum at Aphrodisias, the scholarly community has eagerly awaited a comprehensive study of portraiture from this rich site. Roman Portrait Statuary from Aphrodisias, written by a team led by R. R. R. Smith, more than satisfies this pent-up curiosity. Not only do the authors present 221 numbered portraits and fragments, nine reliefs, and thirteen sarcophagi, a wealth of information in itself, but they engage and interpret this assemblage inmanifold ways, making the volume overall farmore valuable than the sum of its parts. The interpretive chapters and introductions seize the enormous potential inherent in this corpus of well-preserved and well-provenanced finds; they are the most valuable contribution of the book. These essays offer broad conclusions and interpretations about the Aphrodisias material while also setting the material into various broader contexts, always with new ideas. Moreover, the prefatory discussions introducing different genres of statuary (such as togate figures, cuirassed figures, etc.) serve as an excellent orientation to the scholarship, vocabulary, and issues of each genre. I will highlight some of the more interesting and provocative elements within these essays, then consider selected individual statues. 10 H.J. Kienast, Die Wasserleitung desEupalinos auf Santos, SamosXIX (Bonn 1995). BOOK REVIEWS/COMPTES RENDUS 219 At the outset, the authors tell us that "the purpose of this volume is to present the full range of the surviving statuary in its local setting and to interpret it as part of the history of portrait and statue use by the eastern elite of the Roman period" (4). Aspects of this local contextualization include consideration of local history, locations of dedications, costume, hairstyles, manufacturing habits and changes, and the abundant harvest of inscribed statue bases. This contextual approach brings many results. Thus, in the period under question (the late-first century b.c. through the mid-/late-third century a.d.), statuary dedications are predominantly to local notables (perhaps to emphasize this finding, most of the imperial portraits are found towards the end of the catalogue). The himation on one statue type is now shown to be an element of priestly costume that goes along with a tall crown (154-156); thustheother types ofhimation statues may infact likewiseshow somekind of religious office rather than simple civic garb. Discussion of active and non-active poses for draped female figures is an interesting element...

THE ARCHAIC TEMPLE OF ZEUS LABRAUNDOS

The aim of this paper is to discuss the existence of the Archaic phase of the Temple of Zeus in the Labraunda Sanctuary. Previously, the earlier temple in antis was brought to light by the technical details which were discussed by Hellström and Thieme. Then Thieme published a short article about the architectural elements from the sanctuary and made much clear the connection of the architectural elements and the temple in antis. In spite of these studies the existence and the construction date of the temple in antis is still controversial. It is aimed in this paper to investigate all the evidences including previous research, existing remains, architectural elements and historical sources for the earlier temple. For this scope, not only the published ones but also some new unpublished architectural fragments will be fully investigated and dated by the previously dated parallel examples. The architectural fragments consist of a column drum with 36 flutes, a column neck fragment, an Ionic capital fragment, 2 complete and 6 fragments of the crown blocks and 8 dentil blocks. Although, the architectural fragments, except the Ionic capital, are suggested very strongly as belonging to the Archaic temple of Zeus Labraundos, the historical sources for the temple is lacking: the terms hieron used by Herodotus and xoanon by Strabo are strong evidence for the existence of the temple. This investigation suggests that all the evidence indicate that there was a temple to Zeus Labraundos from the late Archaic period and that was enlarged during the Hekatomnid dynasty.

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Heroes, and Athletes

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Heroes, and Athletes

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Heroes, and Athletes

The two pediments and twelve metopes adorning the Temple of Zeus at Olympia of ca. 470–456 B.C. have been the subject of scholarly inquiry since their discovery in the 19th century. These inquiries tend to treat the sculptural elements separately from each other, or largely detached from their Olympic context, and to interpret the sculptures as negative admonitions about hubris and consequent justice, or about dike and arete, or as political allegories. The present study examines the sculptures as a programmatic unity intimately connected with Olympia and the activities that occurred there and argues that, contrary to previous interpretations, the sculptures were created to serve as positive models to inspire and exhort Olympic athletes to deeds of honor and glory.

Pausanias und der Ostgiebel des Zeustempels von Olympia

A confrontation of the sculptural remains of the east pediment of the temple of Zeus at Olympia with the relevant passage of Pausanias (V. 10.) is presented in order to undermine the commonly accepted reliability of the text for the interpretation of the pediment. A careful investigation shows that even in the case of the main figures the identifications given by the Perieget are far from being probable, and rather can be considered as fundamentally mistaken. The cumulative force of evidence makes it absolutely clear that the pediment did not depict the preparations for the chariot race between Pelops and Oinomaos, as Pausanias says. That was only a later interpretation, which has practically nothing to do with the original intentions of the sculptors.

Science in culture

Geometry lies at the heart of sculptures from the Temple of Zeus.

Reconstructing Ancient Buildings By GeneratingSystems

In this paper we would like to explain our design-methodology to the production of the material culture in general. Afterwards, we will illustrate its applicaton for the design of a theoretical earthquake proof reconstructionsystem for the Temple of Zeus at Nemea.

Olympia: cult, sport, and ancient festival

In antiquity Olympia stood for sports. A victory at the Olympic games led to lifelong honours and often to a political career and wealth. Alcibiades, a multifaceted politician from Athens, sponsored all seven chariots in a race to guarantee that one of his horses would definitely win and he would get the honour. Alexander the Great and other kings and emperors, as well as wealthy and powerful men and women, financed the games by erecting religious and civic monuments. Olympia's monuments are associated with the best-known artists of its time. The Zeus temple became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Olympia also had an oracle, which was another major tourist attraction. Numerous ancient sources provide lively reports about Olympia: activities in the sports arenas, the rites of the games, the reactions of the visitors. They also detail sometimes unpleasant daily realities: the crowds, the dust, the heat and the thirst. Still, many mysteries remain: When and why was the Olympian fire extinguished? Why are there so many arms found in a place that is famous for its Olympian peace? Olympia is situated in the western corner of Greece; why is it filled with oriental art? Some answers can be found in archaeological excavations. The author, Ulrich Sinn, has been responsible for major archaeological work; some of the latest is described in this book for the first time.