The Delphi Charioteer The Delphi charioteer is a life size, bronze, free-standing statue, dating from around the

470s. It was discovered around Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi in 1896, and now housed in the Museum of Antiquities at Delphi. The Statue stands at 180cm tall, and is remarkably well preserved, with the exception of the missing left arm, and originally would have been part of a group of statues, with a chariot and a team of four horses, as we can see from the remnants of the reins clasped in his right hand. It was most likely cast using the lost wax method of sculpture. The sculptor obviously had very keen attention to detail. The eyes were made of glass and onyx, the lips inlaid with copper, the eyelashes and headband with meander pattern embellished with silver. These embellishments would have contributed to the statues beauty and realism. Furthermore, the detail of the feet even goes so far as to show veins. There are several features which obviously signify he is a charioteer. He is wearing the characteristic long xystis, a type of chiton which charioteers wore belted at the waist and with two straps at the back which prevented the fabric from billowing in the race. The folds are irregular and so fall naturally, giving a lifelike feel.The charioteer is depicted as young, as we can see from his beardlessness and the soft curls at the side of his head which represent his youth. This is because charioteers had to be light yet tall, and were often teenagers. These details characteristic of charioteers give a sense of realism to the sculpture. The realistic and natural depiction of the statue, in the early Classical or Severe style, contrasts with the earlier idealised Kouroi. The charioteer has no Archaic smile, and his body and head are slightly turned to one side, making him look more realistic than the rigid and frontal kouroi. The fact that the straps are also on the back shows that the statue was made to be appreciated form all sides, rather than the forward-facing statues of the Archaic period. The inscription of the statue tells us its commissioner Polyzalos dedicated me. ... make him prosper, honoured Apollo. The first line was recut, originally being the tyrant of Gela, Greek colony in Sicily, which were often very wealthy compared to their counterparts on the Greek mainland. This also explains how Polyzalos could afford such a magnificent and expensive statue. The inscription was changed after Polyzalos tyranny was overthrown. The approximate dating of the statue suggests that it was dedicated after a victory at the Pythian Games in honour of Apollo. The statue was commissioned by the owner of the chariot and racehorses, not the charioteer himself. This may explain why the charioteer is not presented naked, as athletes usually are, as the commissioner of the statue may have felt that the charioteer was of too low a status to depict nude, which represents nobility. We can contrast this with the Motya charioteer, which although too wears the xystis, shows off his muscular body through the clingy fabric. Recently doubt has been thrown that the inscription goes with this statue Polyzalos brother, tryant of Gela Change from one of brothers to Polyzalos, polyzalos describing himself as ruler of Gela Appropriated brothers monument

Importance of Delphi every Greek dedicates there

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