The pair of athletes, two bronze figurines at the Delphi Archaeological Museum, remind vividly of the Pythian Games.

Description

In separate, free-standing cases in the middle of

room 9 In a building or large vehicle, like a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure that connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors, that ...

of the Delphi Archaeological Museum bronze statuettes are exhibited: a Corinthian figurine of a man wearing

himation A himation ( grc, ἱμάτιον ) was a type of clothing, a mantle or wrap worn by ancient Greek men and women from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods (c. 750–30 BC). It was usually worn over a chiton and/or peplos, but was made of ...

and playing the

aulos An ''aulos'' ( grc, αὐλός, plural , ''auloi'') or ''tibia'' (Latin) was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology. Though ''aulos'' is often translated as "flute" or "double flute", it was usu ...

(460–450 BC), a bronze incense-burner in the form of a "peplophoros", and two naked athletes dated to the same period and originating from Attica. One of the athletes holds a halter and a wreath (or

strigil The strigil ( el, στλεγγίς, translit=stlengis, probably a loanword from Pre-Greek substrate) is a tool for the cleansing of the body by scraping off dirt, perspiration, and oil that was applied before bathing in Ancient Greek and Roman cu ...

). These figurines constitute a proof of the Pythian Games, both athletic and musical, which took place in Delphi every four years.Kolonia, R., 2006, The Archaeological Museum of Delphi, Athens

References

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External links

Pair of athletes
Ancient Greek bronze statues of the classical period Collection of the Delphi Archaeological Museum Nude sculptures in Greece Bronze sculptures in Greece Sculptures of men in Greece Sculptures in Delphi