Group of Volunteers in Sicily Finds Temple of Olympian Zeus Horse Frieze

The frieze, which depicts a horse, is believed to have been part of the famous Temple of the Olympian Zeus at Agrigento. This discovery could provide valuable insight to one of the largest Greek temples ever built.

Akragas, located on the southwest coast of Sicily, was founded in 582 B.C. Today, it is home to the famous “Vallei dei Templi” (Valley of the Temples) archaeological site. 

The city became notoriously wealthy. Plato famously said its citizens “eat like this is their last day.” Akragas maintained its dominance for centuries until its decline in the 7th century A.D.

It is believed that the indigenous population living in Sicily, the Sicani, adopted the Greek culture introduced by the colonists. Assimilation was likely accomplished through force, considering the many Sicanian slaves that were recorded as working on the colonial farms. 

Despite–or perhaps because of–the enormous size of the temple, it was never completed. The remains of the unfinished temple, now entirely destroyed, have led archaeologists to believe that it stood nearly 100 feet tall. 

The ancient Greeks believed Zeus was both the ruler and protector of the other Gods and the race of man.

He had previously usurped this position of authority from his father Uranus with the help of his siblings. This betrayal earned them the nickname of the Titans.

Kronos lusted after the power wielded by his father, which was the reason cited in ancient myths like “Theogony” for why he betrayed him. Uranus had also imprisoned some of the children of Gaia in the underworld, earning him scorn.

A Cretan myth also asserts Kronos had been told that one of his children was fated to overthrow him. Zeus’ mother Rhea, tricked Kronos into swallowing a stone instead and hid Zeus in a cave to avoid being eaten.

Zeus would grow up under protection, hoping to one day realize his goal to wrestle control of the world from Kronos and free his siblings who remained inside the Titan.

According to different accounts, either he or his grandmother Gaia managed to trick Kronos into releasing all the children he had previously swallowed, including Hades and Poseidon, who joined up with Zeus in his goal to overthrow the Titans.

When Zeus freed the six giants that Kronos had held in the underworld, this proved instrumental to Zeus’ eventual victory. The Cyclopes helped produce Zeus’ iconic thunderbolts. Eventually, Zeus and his siblings managed to imprison the Titans in the underworld known as Tartas.

He assigned his siblings and various Gods different domains to rule over. His brother Poseidon was chosen to rule over the sea. Hades was made the ruler of the Underworld where the Titans were imprisoned. Previous to the end of the war, Zeus had married his sister Hera.

Gaia was enraged at the fact that her children, the Titans, were cast into the underworld by the Olympians. In her mind, Zeus had done exactly the same wrong that his father, Kronos had done.

Zeus was able to trick his grandmother Gaia into not being able to give a magical herb to the giants, allowing the Olympians to once again claim victory over the world

While Zeus ruled from the high heights of heaven on Mount Olympus, he did not sit back and just watch. Zeus would actively observe everything going on below and reward good behavior he saw and punish evil deeds.

It recounts the tales of Gods and mortal heroes alike. Famous events are depicted like the wedding of the king of the Lapiths. Unfortunately, many of these sculptures have not withstood the test of time

Standing over 26 feet tall, these statues are believed to represent the mythical figure Telamon, also known as Atlas. In Greek mythology, Atlas sides with the Titans in the war against the Gods. As punishment, Zeus orders Atlas to hold the sky on his shoulders for all eternity.

Only one Telamon has been fully reconstructed, which is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Agrigento. 

The reason for this assumption was poor image quality, yielding something like a large slab or tub. 

To make an accurate assessment, BCsicilia assembled a 3D model using over 200 images taken of the object. Once this model revealed the clear depiction of a horse, divers from the Carabinieri, an arm of Italian law enforcement, were sent in to retrieve the statue.

Researchers theorize that the statue may have been the type built into temple walls and doorways, known as a tympanum. 

Alfonso Lo Cascio, the regional president of BCsicilia, has stated that a shipwreck is the likely explanation. If this was the case, further investigation will hopefully uncover whether the ship was en route to the temple or if it was departing the island with the stolen statue.

Upcoming investigation into the statue will determine its origins, purpose, and estimated time period. Until then, archaeological excitement will continue to stir around the insight this discovery could provide into the larger-than-life Temple of Zeus at ancient Akragas.