The Pediments

The temple's pediments, approximately 20 metres long and around 3.30 metres high at their highest point, were decorated with sculptures made of Parian marble. The east pediment depicts a local legend – the race between Oinomaos and Pelops – with Zeus at its centre.  The west pediment shows the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs during the wedding of Peirithoos and Apollon in the centre. Many figures were not completed, and some were obviously replacements after repairs.

The pediment sculptures and metopes are among the most important surviving examples of the Severe Style and are now on display in the Archaeological Museum in Olympia.