PHIDIAS, or PHEI'DIAS (Lat. Phidias), son of Charmides, the greatest sculptor of ancient Greece, b. at Athens probably between 500-400 p.c. Ills first instructor in art was Hegias of Athens; he afterward studied under a more famous master, Agelatlas of Argos. He appears to have first acquired distinction in his profession soon after the battle of Salamis, and indeed his great works were all executed during la period most favorable for the development and encouragement of genius, when Greece was triumph ant over external enemies, and her people enjoyed a more perfect liberty than almost at any tither period of their history. Witham character of the age correspond the works of its poets, particularly of the tragedians ilischylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and of its sculptors, particularly of Phidias. Under Cimon's administration the Athenians began the work of restoring their city, the Persians had destroyed, in more than its former magnificence, and to fill it with noble works of art.. Pliidias was recordingly employed in making the colossal brazen statue of Minerva, Athena Pronwehoe, which was placed upon the citadel, and was executed probably about 400 B.C. To the govern ment of Cimon succeeded that. of Pericles, still more brilliant, and signalizod by an extraordinary development of art. Pericles not only gave to Pliidias a commission to execute all the more splendid statues that were to he erected, but made him general\ superintendent of all works of art going in the city. Plutarch tells us that Phidias had une..?r him architects, statnario, workers in copper and bronze, stone-cutters, gold and ivory beaters, etc. To Phidias. as director-general of all the skilled artists and arti ficers of Athens. we owe, among other glorious edifices, the Propylaea and the Parthe non, the sculptured ornaments of which were executed under his direct superintendence, while the statue of the goddess Athene, the materials for which were ivory and gold, was the work of Phithas himself (circa 438 "Lc.). This statue was clothed with a golden
robe, which alone was worth 44 talents of gold. The statue is gone for ever, mid the Parthenon is now only a magnificent. wreck, but we still possess srme splendid evidence of the genius of Phidias, in the seniptures of the metopes, and friezes of the temple of Atingle. See ELGIN Next year Phidias went to Elis, where he executed a colossal statue of Zeus for the Olympeium at Olympia (q.v.), also of ivory and gold (about 483 me.). This was reckoned his masterpiece. On his return to Athens, politi cal passions were running high. There was a strong—at least a violent—party inimieal to Pericles, but as they did not dare to attack the great statesman, they assailed him through his friends Phidias, Anaxagoras, Aspasia, etc. Phidias was accused of having. appropriated to himself some portion of the gold destined for the robe of Athene. This accusation be repelled by taking of the robe and weighing it. lie was then accused of impiety, for having introduced his own likeness and that of Pericles on the shield of the goddess. On this most frivolous and contemptible pretext he was thrown into prison, and died there, but whether of sickness or poison is uncertain. His death took place about 432 B.C. The works executed by or ascribed to Phidias were numerous, but we have mentioned the most celebrated. Their prevailing characteristic appears to have been au ideal sublimity, and even the imperfect relics that we possess are the most noble speci mens of sculpture in the world.