Statue of the “Diadoumenos”

The young athlete is depicted naked, standing frontally. His weight is on his right leg, while the relaxed left leg is drawn behind and to the side. On his head, he wears a broad ribbon that he was tying with his now missing hands. Next to his right leg, there is a support in the form of a tree with a himation lying on it and a quiver, which was added by the copyist of the statue. It has been argued, that the statue might represent the god Apollo, but most scholars believe that it depicts a victorious athlete. “Diadoumenos” statue is regarded as the embodiment of the “perfect athlete” and it is a copy of an original statue made by the famous sculptor Polykleitos in the third quarter of the 5th c. BC.