Zeus holding an eagle and thunder

This portrayal unites Zeus with his two essential attributes — the thunderbolt forged by the Cyclopes that gave him dominion over the sky, and the eagle that served as his messenger and the symbol of his sovereign vision. The pose recalls the lost colossal Zeus of Olympia by Phidias, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Together, eagle and thunder declare the absolute reach of his divine authority.