Temple of Olympian Zeus

Athens · Attica · Greece

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is a ruined temple in the center of Athens, Greece, dedicated to the god of thunder and king of the Olympian pantheon: Zeus. It once housed a giant statue of Zeus, among the largest in the ancient world. The temple was plundered after the fall of the Roman Empire and the statue was likely torn down and broken up so its materials could be sold. Although this is only speculation, as any information on the matter was lost centuries ago. Today only a handful of the enormous columns that once held up this mighty temple remain, reminding us of how valuable it is as cultural heritage and as an astonishing piece of history. Who knows? Maybe Zeus dealt with the looters himself, with lightning and thunder...