An Ancient Charioteer Who Rode into Modern History
Some time ago, a Facebook friend who is steeped in the Greek classics, posted a piece about the Charioteer of Delphi, and I was immediately hooked on this amazing bronze statue from antiquity. It’s simply marvelous.
A statue like the Charioteer (in Greek his name is Iniohos, “the rein-holder”) is one of those rare examples of how timeless human values such as Truth and Beauty can unite people from different places and eras throughout human history. I would love to have met the young man who modeled this statue or at least the sculptor who immortalized him!
The statue was discovered by a group of French archeologists who were excavating the site of the Oracle at Delphi in 1896. Yes, it was a real place!
Apparently, it was buried in an avalanche sometime before 300 BC and did not see the light of day for over 2000 years. Wow. We know of the statue from an ancient Greek travel log that documented its beauty back when it was still “young”.
On that matter, the statue dates to about 478 BC and commemorates the victory of the chariot that competed in the Pythian Games around that time. An inscription at the base of the statue indicated that the victorious chariot was sponsored by a tyrant named Polyzalus who ruled a Greek colony in Sicily.
Features
Although his pose is somewhat rigid, the statue’s features are stunningly realistic. His demeanor bears the “severe” (stoic) look that was typical of early Greek statues, but one glance at the Charioteer’s face makes you sense that he is a real person, there with you in the room. Maybe he could speak to you if he just lightened up a bit, haha.
This Charioteer is a rare example of a bronze statue with inlaid stone eyes (probably onyx), which give the face a deeply human quality. But that is not the only detail of note:
Many of the delicate eyelashes are still intact, and like the lips, are crafted with copper;
His headband with traces of silver envelops locks of hair and delicate sideburns that look incredibly realistic;
He wears a harness that straps around his shoulders and crosses his back to ensure that his tunic doesn’t billow in the wind while racing;
His long garment falls down over his tall, thin body as if it were a fluted Greek column, and
His feet could be the model for any modern book of anatomy.
There are myriad other details to analyze, but these Vignettes are just that, glimpses of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness to deepen our souls and whet our appetites for the sacred.
Here are a few other images to help you appreciate the beauty of this ancient charioteer who leapt out of history and onto the modern stage for our benefit.
Source Credit: Gratitude to Victoria Harris for the education in Greek culture and two closeup images of face and head. Other photos via Wikimedia Commons: (head/torso) Adam Carr; (standing) RaminusFalcon; (back view) Rama, CeCILL; (reins) Karamakolle; and (feet) Joy of Museums.