ArchaeoDesigns's video: FIRST EVER Virtual Reconstruction for TEMPLE OF OLYMPIAN ZEUS Athens

Original archaeological virtual reconstruction for ‘The Temple of Olympian Zeus’, Central Athens (The Olympieion) dedicated to Olympian Zeus. The Olympieion was to become the largest of all temples in Ancient Greece, rightfully so deserved for the function of paying homage to the ruler of all Gods. This temple dwarfed and thus humbled the neighbouring Parthenon in comparison. Of all the works of Antiochus, the Temple of Jupiter Olympius or Olympian (as the Romans called it) was the "only one in the world, the plan of which was suitable to the greatness of the deity" (Livy, History of Rome, XLI.20). The superstructure was situated on the bank of the river Ilissus southeast of the Acropolis. It was built on the site of an ancient Doric temple, the foundation of which had been laid out by the tyrant Pisistratus 6th century bc, but construction was abandoned several decades later in 510 BC when his son Hippias was expelled from Athens and a democracy established. Over three centuries later, in 174 BC, Antiochus IV Epiphanes (king of Syria and the "vile person" of Daniel 11:21) commissioned the Roman architect Cossutius to begin work again on the same ground plan. He did so "with great skill and taste," says Vitruvius, constructing a temple "of large dimensions, and of the Corinthian order and proportions" (On Architecture, VII, Pref.15, 17). But when the king died a decade later, the temple still was "left half finished" (Strabo, Geography, IX.1.17), although it extended at least to the architrave of the columns still standing at the southeastern corner. The Olympieion finally would be finished by Hadrian, who had ordered work to begin during his first visit to Athens in AD 124-125 and dedicated the temple in AD 131-132 during his last visit, more than six centuries after construction first had begun. Importantly there was an internal chryselephantine statue of Zeus, modelled on the original by Pheidias at Olympia which was, according to Pausanias, "one worth seeing, which in size exceeds all other statues save the colossi at Rhodes and Rome, and is made of ivory and gold with an artistic skill which is remarkable when the size is taken into account". Vitruvius characterized the Olympian Jupiter as octastyle (III.2.8) and dipteral (VII.Pref.15), that is, as having eight columns across the principal façade and two rows of columns on each side of the inner cella (or naos in Greek) that held the cult statue. Originally there were 104 Corinthian columns, arranged in two rows of twenty each on the long sides and triple rows of eight on the shorter ends. Everything including the vast Corinthian columns, internal cult of Zeus, and all statues are created by me from scratch, sculpting and moulding thousands of polygons to scale and likeness for the end result. Entire Archaeological reconstruction created by Christopher Antoniou ©. NOTE: This is a sample preview of my work, hence the use of the Lumion watermark on the screen for non-commercial use. - Please SUBSCRIBE to my YOUTUBE channel for all new material - “ARCHAEO RECONSTRUCTIONS”: I CREATE QUALITY FULL HD ANIMATIONS AND DESIGNS BOTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND GENERAL, AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FOR ANYONE INCLUDING PRODUCERS AND EDUCATORS. YOU MAY CONTACT ME FOR TERMS & CONDITIONS. EMAIL: christopherantoniouwork@gmail.com