Phidias
Phidias (fl. 5th century BC). Greek sculptor, usually considered the greatest artist of the ancient world. An Athenian, he was commissioned by Pericles to supply a series of statues for the city and appointed superintendent of public works. He designed the sculptures on the walls of the Parthenon (the so-called Elgin Marbles) and himself executed a gold and ivory statue of Athena for the interior. His other works included a bronze statue of Athena on the Acropolis and a statue of Zeus at Olympia. He apparently fled from Athens after being accused of appropriating gold from a statue for himself and of carving his own features on a public sculpture.
