Phidias facts for kids

Phidias Showing the Frieze of the Parthenon to his Friends (1868) by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Phidias (circa 480 BC—430 BC), was a Greek sculptor, painter and architect. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. He also designed the statues of the goddess Athena on the Acropolis. These were the Athena Parthenos inside the Parthenon and the Athena Promachos, a bronze statue of Athena near the entrance to the Acropolis.

Phidias was twice indicted for stealing some of the costly materials used in the construction of his two great statues: at Athens, he was accused of taking some of the ivory from the Athena Parthenos; at Olympia, of stealing some of the gold of Zeus' cloak. A false witness against Phidias testified. Phidias died in prison.

Images for kids

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  The Varvakeion Athena, a Roman-era statue of Athena Parthenos considered to be the most faithful reproduction of the chryselephantine statue made by Phidias and his assistants, as displayed in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens

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  A reconstruction of Phidias' Statue of Zeus at Olympia in an engraving made by Philippe Galle in 1572, from a drawing by Maarten van Heemskerck

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  The workshop of Phidias at Olympia (2005)

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  Head of Aphrodite. Phidian style

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  Zeus in Olympia, representation on coin

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  A copy of a work by Phidias or one of his pupils: head of Athena, found around Pnyx, now in the National Archeological Museum of Athens

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  Reconstruction of Athena Lemnia, Dresden

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  Head of Athena, Roman copy

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  Ivory head of Apollo, perhaps carved by Phidias, looted in 1995 by Pietro Casasanta and repatriated to Italy in 2003

See also

In Spanish: Fidias para niños