1. King of the Gods

Recovered in 1928 from a Roman shipwreck near Cape Artemision, this Classical bronze sculpture depicting Zeus or Poseidon was probably a work of the Athenian sculptor Kalamis (active 5th Century BC). Lord of the sky and thunder, Zeus was the son of the god Kronos (“time”) and the ruler of the Olympian gods. Many different and conflicting local myths developed about this deity, including his role in the foundation of the polis (city-state) of Corinth, while his love-life was a common theme of Greek poetry. Temples venerating the king of the gods were erected around the Hellenic world including Olympia and Athens (the Olympieion).