Word: zeus
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Dates: during 1890-1899
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...question as to the origin of the Doric temple. According to the traditional belief, the Doric temple in its finest forms was a spontaneous creation, springing complete and perfect from the brain of Greek architects, as Athena, with helmet and spear, darted into life from the head of Zeus. Numerous excavations conducted in recent years have demonstrated the incorrectness of this view. They have shown that the Roman architect Vitruvius was in the main right in deriving the Doric temple from structures in wood. Evidences for the theory were found in the ground plans of such buildings as the Megaron...
Students of ancient art and archaeologists had long desired the excavation of the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, with its buildings and countless works of art. Winckelmann planned, as early as the eighteenth century, an international excavation of this celebrated site, but it was reserved for the late Professor Ernst Curtius to carry out the plan. During the years 1875-1881 the entire sanctuary and the places immediately adjacent were laid bare, at the expense ($200,000) of the German government. For four years Professor Dorpfeld was charged with the conduct of the excavations as supervising architect...
Professor Dorpfeld gave a brief account of the situation of Olympia, and threw on a screen pictures and plans of the buildings within the sanctuary, describing the great columns and the pedimental sculptures of the temple of Zeus and the construction of the temple of Hera, the oldest temple in Greece. This temple was originally of wood, but was renewed little by little in marble. The careful study of its remains has finally solved the perplexing question of the origin of the Doric style of architecture. The pictures showed very clearly the varying sizes of the columns and that...
...form of a ship and is still a riddle to the architects; and the palaestra and gymnasium where the athletes exercised. Countless works of art were discovered in Olympia, and beautiful pictures of many of these were thrown on the screen, the pedimental sculptures of the temple of Zeus, the beautiful statue of Victory by Paeonius, and that masterpiece of Greek sculpture, the Hermes of Praxiteles. Besides these the museum which the Greek government has erected at Olympia contains inscriptions, articles of bronze, and terra cottas in almost bewildering number. Professor Dorpfeld exhibited at the close of his lecture panoramic...
...fourth century fresh elements of thought began to appear with the belief in mysteries. Demeter, Dionysos and Zeus were thought to be connected with a future life. Purification or initiation was considered of vital importance in ensuring happiness for a future life. The impure or unitiated were supposed to suffer torments after death. The connection between body and soul changed during the fourth century. The soul and body had before been as one, but it now began to be understood that it was the soul alone that could have communion with the god. The soul must set itself free from...