The Greek Gods: Worshipped Through Sculpture Art

Throughout human history, sculpture art has been utilized for various things. From honoring historical figures to park aesthetics, they have been a staple of the human experience. However, arguably the most significant way sculpture art has been utilized, is its usage in religion and the worship of Gods. Art has often been used to depict religious idols, such as the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil and the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong. However, across all of the world, across all time, there has not been a society that goes as hard with their sculptures of their Gods quite like the Greeks.

The Ancient Greeks had their most influential period spanning from 800 BC to 146 BC. They created all sorts of things, such as literary works and political ideologies. However, they also had their own polytheistic religion, worshipping many Gods. Through the Greeks’ sculpture art, these Gods were honored and idolized. 

The most prominent of the Greek Gods is Zeus, the God of Thunder. Due to his significance in Greek Mythology, he was often given glorious sculptures and statues. His most prominent monument is the Statue of Zeus located in the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, Greece. The statue, being almost 12 meters high and consisting of gold and ivory, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World which are 7 ancient man-made architectural achievements. The statue took 8 years to construct, though it was ultimately destroyed when the Temple was destroyed in 426 CE. The creator of the statue was the sculptor Phidias, and it serves as one of his two masterpieces. His other masterpiece was the statue of Athena in Parthenon.

Athena, being the Goddess of Wisdom, was highly revered. After all, in the age of the Greeks, wisdom was a sought-after quality with philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle being highly influential. Due to Athena’s importance in Greek society, she was also given a prominent statue. Referred to as the Athena Parthenos, the sculpture was, like the statue of Zeus, also 12 meters high and also made of gold and ivory. The statue was completed in 438 BCE, though like the statue of Zeus, was ultimately destroyed. However, luckily, Roman and Hellenistic copies of the statue are available.

Meanwhile, smaller sculptures were also built. The Venus de Milo, built in 100 BCE, was a sculpture for Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty. The sculpture is currently located in the Louvre Museum in France. Meanwhile, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, built in 190 BCE, depicts Nike, the Goddess of Victory. Hermes and the Infant Dionysus, built and sculpted by Praxiteles in 330 BCE, depicts Hermes, the God of Messengers, carrying a baby Dionysus, the God of Wine.

The design and materials used for sculptures and statues often reflected their respective times. There are three main eras of sculpture for the Greeks. There is the Archaic Age, lasting from 700 to 480 BC, the Classical, lasting from 480 to 323 BC, and the Hellenistic following directly after.

The Archaic Age primarily used stone or bronze. An example of a sculpture from this time is the Mantiklos Apollo, created in 675 BC. This 20.3 cm sculpture was made to honor Apollo, the Sun God. 

The Classical Period offered more realistic human body parts in its sculptures. The two famous sculptures or statues from this time were the Statue of Zeus and the Athena Parthenos.

Meanwhile, the Hellenistic Era offered less of an emphasis on human perfectionism. A famous sculpture from this time was the Venus de Milo. 

Overall, through their sculptures and statues, the Greeks utilized art significantly to worship their Gods. These sculptures will forever be influential, helping influence the art of the Roman Empire and other societies that followed. All and all, the granular sights, realism, and spectacles provided by these statues offer some of the first instances of more sophisticated art from early humans.