Kleobis and Biton

1. Kleobis and Biton Charlie Fern and Alex Hiscock

2. The Statues’ History • ‘The Argives made and dedicated at Delphi statues of them as being the best of men’ Solon, Herodotus Bk1 para 31 • Crafted in Argos c580BC by Polymedes, who inscribed his name into the base. • Found in Delphi 1893-1894 • Currently in the Delphi Archaeological Museum • The two statues were found in Delphi in 1893 along with one plinth. The second plinth was found in 1907 in a wall of the roman baths. • They stand at 1.97m high

3. The Myth • Kleobis and Biton were sons of an Argive priestess of Hera • They pulled the ceremonial cart carrying there mother to the temple when the oxen were late • Their mother prayed to Hera asking for the greatest gift for her sons devotion • Both sons lie down in the temple and die peacefully in their sleep • Solon states they are the second happiest men in the world

4. High Archaic • Kouroi statues • Made of Parian marble

5. Features

6. Features • The hair is joined at the is joined at both the front and back of the neck which gives that area strength • Repetitive hair pattern – curls at the front, beaded at the back • The back has very little detail – no definition. • These aspects enhance the view that the statues are for frontal viewing.

9. Style • Polymedes has made efforts to make the statues realistic: • Largely symmetrical • Muscular definition (only slight) • Knee cap – rounded but not as detailed as other Kouroi statues • However, they follow the Egyptian style in that they don’t look particularly natural e.g. waist

10. Woodford • “The sculptor from Argos was apparently more interested in giving an impression of robustness and vigorously curved forms and less interested in patterning the surface than were the Athenians.”