Statue of Zeus or Poseidon from Artemision

Monumental statue of a god depicted in full nudity. The figure is shown striding firmly and stretching his arms in order to balance the power of the blow he is about to deliver. He has been identified as Poseidon who would brandish his trident while, according to a different view, the statue portrayed Zeus ready to hurl his thunderbolt. The magnificent rendering of the pose and the physique of the body, as well as the intricately crafted hair and beard, make the statue a masterpiece of the early classical era and one of the few surviving original works of the so-called "Severe Style", undoubtedly a creation of great sculptor.

The figure of the god reveals the fighting spirit that possessed the Greeks at that time and led to a glorious victory against the Persians.

speak icon
  • Athens, National Archaeological Museum, inv. n. X 15161
  • Ca 460 BC
  • H. 2.09 m. Span of arms 2.10 m.
  • Bronze
  • Provenance: From the sea of Cape Artemision on Euboea
Bibliography
  • Dafas, K. A. (2019). Greek Large-Scale Bronze Statuary, The Late Archaic and Classical Periods, BICS Supplement 138, pp. 36-50, pl. 31-40, London: Institute of Classical Studies, University of London.
  • Pollini, J. (2016). The God from Cape Artemision: Zeus or Poseidon? An Old Question, a New Approach, In A. Giumlia-Mair & C.C. Mattusch (Eds), Monographie Instrumentum 52, Proceedings of the XVIIth International Congress on Ancient Bronzes, Izmir, May 21-25, 2011, pp. 219-229, Drémil-Lafage: Editions Mergoil.
  • Καλτσάς, Ν. (2007). Το Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο, σσ. 276-279, Αθήνα: Κοινωφελές Ίδρυμα Ιωάννη Σ. Λάτση- Εκδόσεις Ολκός.
Statue of Zeus or Poseidon from Artemision
music