Agias from the Daochos Monument at Delphi

attributed to Lysippos, 337-332 BCE

Around 335 BCE at Delphi, Daochos II, tetrarch of Thessaly, erected a monument to honor his ancestors and to pay homage to the god Apollo. The monument consisted of eight freestanding statues representing several generations of family members arranged on a continuous marble pedestal, as well as the colossal statue of a seated Apollo. It was within this assembly that the striking figure of Agias stood. A Thessalonian prince who lived during the 5th century BCE, Agias was an accomplished boxer and is portrayed as such; he stands nude and originally would have worn a wreath signifying victory on his head.

Somewhat distinct stylistically from the other statues at Delphi, Agias is the only figure of the nine to be attributed to the sculptor Lysippos. This attribution is rather uncertain though, since the marble Agias of the Delphi group is thought to be a copy after a bronze original by Lysippos which no longer exists. Although attribution of the Agias is not universally accepted, the work exhibits a number of traits characteristic of the artist whose innovations in the anatomical representation make his works distinguishable from other Greek sculptors of the same period. Exhibiting a high degree of verisimilitude, Lysippan figures are generally tall and slender with a smaller head. These proportions are an alteration of the earlier established Polykleitan canon of proportions and tend to be more anatomically representative of the human form.

At first glance, it would seem that Agias is positioned in a conventional contrapposto stance. Upon closer inspection, the figure of Agias maintains a sense of continual agitated motion as if the weight shifts erratically from one leg to the other. Perhaps the most arresting aspect of Agias is his convincing three-dimensionality. Historically, freestanding figures were intended to be viewed frontally. Unlike earlier figures, Agias maintains the same absolute visual integrity when examined from the behind or at the three-quarter view as it has when viewed frontally. The gentle indentation that cradles the back of Agias' powerful calf is given as much attention as the gradual swell of his pectoral muscles or the earnest line of his jaw. Every careful detail of Agias combines to form a commanding figure worthy of the admiration Daochos II sought to bestow on his ancestors.

Amy Gullotta '92