ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

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The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

A ten‑minute look at Phidias’ ivory‑and‑gold Zeus, the workshop uncovered at Olympia, ancient descriptions, and its final fate in Constantinople.

Chapters

0:07 Olympia: The Temple and Its Setting
1:52 Phidias and His Workshop
3:01 The Statue’s Design and Impact
4:46 From Olympia to Constantinople and Loss

On-screen text

0:07 Olympia: The Temple and Its Setting
0:14 Olympia: The Temple and Its Setting
0:31 Statue inside Zeus' temple Historical record · Strabo, Geography 7.3.5
0:49 Temple dimensions 64 × 27 m Historical record · Temple of Zeus, Olympia, archaeological plan (Olympia Museum catalogue 1972)
1:07 Ivory skin from Egypt Historical record · Pausanias 5.13.1
1:25 Gold leaf over wood Historical record · Pliny 36.12
1:43 Statue 12.5 m tall, ivory & gold Historical record · Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.13.1
1:52 Phidias and His Workshop
1:59 Phidias and His Workshop
2:16 Workshop with bronze molds, Phidias cup Historical record · Excavation report, Olympia, 1954, ‘Phidias’ workshop’ (M. B. B. 1955)
2:34 Cup inscribed ‘Phidias’ Historical record · Inscription IG V,2 550, Olympia Museum, Cup of Phidias
2:52 Ivory skin from Egypt Historical record · Pausanias 5.13.1
3:01 The Statue’s Design and Impact
3:08 The Statue’s Design and Impact
3:25 Statue 12.5 m tall, ivory & gold Historical record · Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.13.1
3:43 Pliny: 13 m tall, gold 1.5 cm Historical record · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 36.12
4:01 Nike figure on Zeus' hand Historical record · Pausanias 5.13.1
4:19 Roman marble copy in Vatican Historical record · Roman marble copy, Villa Ludovisi, Rome, 2nd c. AD (now Vatican Museums)
4:37 No original fragments remain The Institute's interpretation · Kleiner, ‘The Statue of Zeus at Olympia’, 1990
4:46 From Olympia to Constantinople and Loss
4:53 From Olympia to Constantinople and Loss
5:10 Statue moved to Constantinople 438 AD Historical record · Procopius, Buildings 4.2
5:28 Statue placed in imperial hall Historical record · Chronicon Paschale, entry for 627 AD
5:46 Statue lost in 532 fire Historical record · Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History 5.16
6:04 Pliny: 13 m tall, gold 1.5 cm Historical record · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 36.12

Sources

Historical record: Strabo, Geography 7.3.5 · Temple of Zeus, Olympia, archaeological plan (Olympia Museum catalogue 1972) · Pausanias 5.13.1 · Pliny 36.12 · Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.13.1 · Excavation report, Olympia, 1954, ‘Phidias’ workshop’ (M. B. B. 1955) · Inscription IG V,2 550, Olympia Museum, Cup of Phidias · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 36.12 · Roman marble copy, Villa Ludovisi, Rome, 2nd c. AD (now Vatican Museums) · Procopius, Buildings 4.2 · Chronicon Paschale, entry for 627 AD · Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History 5.16

The Institute's interpretation: Kleiner, ‘The Statue of Zeus at Olympia’, 1990

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 271 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (4) — the next things to make

A caravan unloads raw ivory tusks at the Olympia harbor.
An artisan hammers thin gold sheets onto a wooden panel in a workshop.
An artisan hammers thin gold sheets onto a wooden panel in a workshop.
A Roman cargo ship being loaded with a massive crate at Olympia.