medium bronze head of the Artemision Zeus Poseidon

The truly gorgeous original bronze statue, standing over two meters tall, and dating to ca 460 BCE, is on display in Room 15 on the ground floor of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. He was discovered in 1928, in the sea off Cape Artemision and is one of very few original, full-size bronze statues to survive from antiquity.

He is cast entirely in bronze, using the (then) innovative lost-wax method. A masterpiece of the early Classical Severe Style in Greek art, he marks a shift from the rigid pose of the archaic to the dynamic movement of the Classical.

Perfectly balanced on his toes (which are extraordinarily beautiful), the god's naked body, with exquisite rendering of sinew and muscle, is stunning from all angles, as he stands poised to cast his weapon. His braided hair and meticulously sculpted beard frame the serene expression on his face, which contrasts with the tension and anticipation in his body.

The debate about his identity continues. If he is Poseidon, he was hurling his trident, if Zeus, casting his thunderbolt. In favour of the latter, a trident would partially block his face from view, whereas the thunderbolt is a more concise weapon!

Hephaistos would be amazed by the craftsmanship and quality of this wonderful collection!

These superb bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted, the base is of black marble.

Please note that there may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time, and that accessories such as spears, tridents or javelins may vary in length or height! If you need precise dimensions and weight, email me!

If you need a piece to fit a very specific space, or if you want me to take a photo of a couple of pieces so you can pick the one you want, I will do so with pleasure.

Every piece is deliciously tactile.

It's All Greek is so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, to photograph and describe these gorgeous pieces, before passing them on to passionate and grateful customers all over the world.

If you already own one of these pieces, cherish it!

Zeus, king of the gods, was the god of the sky, of thunder and the weather, justice, oaths and promises, hospitality, guests and hosts, and he was the protector of the family unit. Quite a selection!

His brothers were Poseidon, god of oceans and rivers, and Hades, god of the Underworld. His sisters were Demeter, goddess of the fertility of the earth, Hestia, goddess of the hearth, and Hera, to whom he was married and with whom he had three legitimate offspring: Hephaistos, Hebe, and Ares.

His countless sexual indiscretions, often in disguise as random showers of gold, swans, or white bulls) resulted in a vast and colourful array of other children, both mortal and divine, including the gods Athena (his 'brainchild', literally), twins Apollo and Artemis, Dionysos, Hermes, Aphrodite, and the 9 Muses. Helen of Sparta, Perseus, Herakles and Minos were also among his famous offspring.

Zeus is depicted with a luscious beard, and is often shown holding, or poised to cast, his signature thunderbolt, manufactured exclusively for him by the giant Cyclopes.

His sanctuaries include Olympia (where the Olympic Games, founded by Herakles, were held in his honour), and Nemea (where the Nemean Games were held in his honour also), two glorious sites, both in the Peloponnese, and where there are remains of magnificent temples dedicated to Zeus.

The oracle in Zeus' sanctuary in Dodona, in the shadow of Mount Tomaros in northern Greece, is rather different. The focal point of the sanctuary was (at first, anyway) the sacred oak tree (phagos) which was thought to represent the power and presence of Zeus. When the wind blew up the valley, the rustling leaves and the creaking branches were thought to represent the direct oracular voice of the god. The circle of bronze cauldrons and tripods which protected the tree made a gentle chiming sound in the breeze. The priests walked barefoot (with feet permanently unwashed) and would sleep on the ground, connected at all times to the earth's energy, so they could more easily sense these natural sounds and interpreting them for the visiting pilgrims.

When Jason was building the Argo, Athena herself travelled to Dodona, cut a piece of wood from the sacred oak, and incorporated it into the prow of the ship. Because it had come from the prophetic tree, it gave the Argo the power of human speech. During the quest for the Golden Fleece, the ship herself issued warnings about all sorts of obstacles and how to overcome them.

When Odysseus finally lands in Ithaca disguised as a beggar, he spins a yarn to his loyal swineherd, Eumaios (and later to Penelope), claiming that he has news that someone had spotted Odysseus in Dodona, 'to ask the holy oak what Zeus intended.' (Emily Wilson's 2018 translation), reminding us of how the ancient Greeks visited oracles such as this and Apollo's one in Delphi, to seek advice at crucial turning points in their lives, however cryptic and ambiguous the reply might be.

Poseidon was the god of oceans, rivers, flowing water, earthquakes and horses.

Brother of Zeus and Hades, he was married to the Nereid Amphitrite, with whom he had three children, including the sea creature Triton. He had a reputation for being rather violent and bad-tempered.

He had numerous affairs, all fruitful, but the offspring were rather unusual, such as Polyphemos the one-eyed Cyclops and Pegasus the winged horse.

With his trident, this god, known as 'the earthshaker' would strike the ocean floor to summon violent tempests and earthquakes. He could also bring an end to a storm or an earthquake with one strike of his trident.

He is also thought to have struck a rock with his trident, to create the very first horse, Skyphios. His subsequent association with horses is reflected in his epithet 'tamer of horses'.

He entered a contest with his niece Athena to decide which of them would become the protector deity of a hitherto unnamed city in Attica. He struck the rock of the Akropolis with his trident to produce a spring of salt water, Athena created an olive tree next to it. The city's inhabitants chose the olive, for its versatility, and name their city Athens in honour of the goddess. The splendid split-level Erechtheion with its Karyatid Porch is dedicated to both uncle and niece, a nice touch on the Akropolis which is dominated by the Parthenon, Athena's temple.

He fared rather better with Corinth, however!

This time his dispute was with Helios, god of the sun, whose task it was to drive the chariot across the sky each day. The contest was judged by the hundred-handed giant Briareus, who came up with a wise compromise. Poseidon would become the protector of the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow neck of land connecting mainland Greece with the Peloponnese, while Helios was given the citadel of Akrokorinth, overlooking the city.

The Isthmian Games, one of the four Panhellenic Games of antiquity, were established in honour of Poseidon. Horseracing and chariot racing were highlights, celebrating Poseidon's role as the god of horses. Winners were crowned with a wreath of pine or wild celery.

It was in the city of Corinth - specifically at the Peirene Spring on Akrokorinth - that Corinth-born Bellerophon managed to tame Pegasus, using a golden bridle given to him by Athena. Pegasus became so significant in the city's identity that his image appeared on Corinthian coins, which were called 'Pegasi'.

The traveller writer Pausanias writes that inside the temple of Poseidon at Isthmia, near Corinth, was a vast gold and ivory (chryselephantine) statue group of Poseidon and Amphitrite. When travelling about on the sea, the couple used this shared chariot, encrusted with pearl shells, drawn by golden-maned hippokampoi - seahorses - and escorted by Triton and dolphins. Although he was entitled to take his seat on Mount Olympus, moody, temperamental Poseidon preferred to offline in the magnificent golden palace at the bottom of the ocean, crafted from coral, pearls, and precious gems which he shared with Amphitrite.

The sea was such an integral part of ancient Greek life that there are countless temples poised in stunning locations overlooking the sea, such as the temple of Poseidon at Sounion, on Poros and on Tinos. Coinage minted in Greek colonies such as Syracuse in South Italy reflected a connection with Poseidon, depicting tridents and dolphins.