Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens

View from the southeast with the Akropolis in the distance. Building and rebuilding phases: foundation c. 520-510 BCE, using the Doric order; temple designed by Cossutius begun 175 BCE; left unfinished 164 BCE; completed 132 CE using Cossutius' design. Height of columns 55'5" (16.89 m).

Following Alexander's unexpected death, three generals carved out kingdoms in the breaking empire.
Alexander's artistic legacy was a generation of artists who focused on the individual rather than an idealized canon.
Works turned from the heroic to the everyday and appealed to the senses.


Corinthian capitals, unlike in Doric and Ionic orders, had acanthus leaves and coiled flowers around a basket-shaped core.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus at the foot of the Akropolis followed long-established conventions but was much larger than Greek temples that were constructed before it.