Phidias
Family: Greek art · Role: sculptor · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 14
In Book 1, Phidias made a bronze statue of Athene from spoils taken from the Persians who landed at Marathon, and turned Parian marble into a statue of Nemesis at Rhamnus. At the Olympieum, Theocosmus made a statue of Zeus with Phidias’s assistance, though it remained unfinished.
By Book 5, Phidias had made the statue of Zeus at Olympia. When it was finished, Zeus struck the pavement after Phidias prayed for a sign of approval. An inscription identifies him as “Phidias the Athenian, the son of Charmides”; his brother was Panænus, and Pantarces was described as beloved by him.
Phidias was also said to have made an ivory-and-gold statue of Athene at Elis, and another at Pellene. In Book 9, Agoracritus is described as Phidias’s pupil and lover.
Relationship record
Life events
- Phidias created Athene’s brazen statue from spoil taken from the Persians at Marathon.(Book 1 · Chapter 28)
- With: Athene
- “a brazen statue of Athene, the work of Phidias, made out of spoil taken from the Persians who landed at Marathon”
- Phidias transformed Parian marble into a statue of Nemesis.(Book 1 · Chapter 33 · 📍 Rhamnus)
- With: Nemesis
- “This marble Phidias made into a statue of Nemesis”
- Theocosmus made Zeus’s statue with Phidias’s assistance, though it remained unfinished.(Book 1 · Chapter 40 · 📍 the Olympieum)
- With: Theocosmus Zeus
- “they say it was made by Theocosmus a native, assisted by Phidias.”
- Phidias made the statue of Zeus.(Book 5 · Chapter 10 · 📍 Olympia)
- With: Zeus
- “Phidias the Athenian, the son of Charmides, made me.”
- Zeus struck the pavement, signifying approval of Phidias’s completed statue.(Book 5 · Chapter 11 · 📍 Olympia)
- With: Zeus
- “Phidias prayed him to signify if the work was to his mind, and immediately Zeus struck with lightning that part of the pavement”
- Phidias was said to have made Athene’s ivory-and-gold statue.(Book 6 · Chapter 26 · 📍 Elis)
- With: Athene
- “And in the citadel at Elis is a temple of Athene, her statue is of ivory and gold, and said to be by Phidias”
- Phidias was said to have made Athene’s ivory-and-gold statue.(Book 7 · Chapter 27 · 📍 Pellene)
- With: Athene
- “her statue is of ivory and gold by they say Phidias”
Book 1 · Chapter 14
- with Aphrodite (Phidias designed Aphrodite's statue.) “And her statue is still among us of Parian stone, the design of Phidias”
Book 1 · Chapter 24
- with Apollo (Phidias is identified as the sculptor of the Apollo statue.) “And outside the temple is a brazen Apollo said to be by Phidias”
Book 1 · Chapter 28
- with Athene (Phidias made the statue of Athene.) “a brazen statue of Athene, the work of Phidias, made out of spoil taken from the Persians who landed at Marathon”