The Evidence: Style

Biton

Most archaic kouroi are unique, but Biton and Kleobis, the statue to the right, are exact twins. They represent the mythical brothers Kleobis and Biton, the two pious sons of a priestess to Hera. One day, the priestess was waiting for the family oxen to come home from the field so they could be hitched to the wagon that would take her to an important ceremony in town. 

Kleobis

Kleobis is an exact twin of Biton, the statue to the left. The oxen never arrived to take their mother to town, and so Kleobis and Biton hitched themselves to the wagon and drove their mother to the sanctuary. Their mother prayed to Hera that her good sons be rewarded for this act of piety. Later that night, both sons died in their sleep. Hera granted them the gift of never succumbing to the pain of old age. This particular myth represents the importance of youth and beauty, two very crucial concepts to the ancient Greeks.

New York Kouros

A very early kouros, this statue has much more geometric and patterned forms than the later, more naturalistic kouroi. Its hair is wig-like and rhythmically falls down its back. This hair is very similar to the Getty kouros's, though it lacks the curls at its forehead. Over its hair, the statue wears a headband, and it also wears a thin necklace around its neck. Most kouroi were completely nude, but several had additional features such as jewelry or belts. It would have stood as a grave marker for an aristocrat.

Kouros from Sounion

This kouros was discovered at the temple of Poseidon at Sounion. It is unknown what identity this image is supposed to carry, but it is unlikely that it was meant to be an Apollo. To dedicate a statue of Apollo at another god's temple or sanctuary would be highly unusual. One of the earliest kouroi in the collection, its surface and features are much more about pattern and decoration than naturalism. The knees, abdomen, and hair in particular show this tendency to favor surface pattern

Isches Kouros

This colossal statue was dedicated at the Heraion of Samos. It originally stood next to the sacred way. On his thigh is an inscription reading "Isches son of Rhesis dedicated [me]." Its forms are smooth and rounded, showing the Samian preference for the male figure. It is currently in the Samos Archaeological Museum

Aristodikos Kouros

One of the latest kouroi in the collection, the Aristodikos kouros displays a high level of naturalism. Its musculature is much more softly rendered, leaving behind the straight, surface-level lines of early kouroi. Its arms bend at the elbows, breaking free from the traditional stance with the fists clenched at the thighs. It has not completely removed pattern, however. On its badly damaged head, patterned curls can still be seen in the hair. It stood above the grave of Aristodikos, whose name inscribes the base of the statue.

The Piraeus Apollo

This kouros is made of bronze, which is an unusual material for these statues. It was found in Piraeus or the port of Athens. The pose is another unusual feature for this kouros. It steps forward with its right leg rather than its left. Furthermore, instead of holding its arms by its sides, the kouros bends its elbows and raises its hands in front of its body. The right one is open and seems to beckon the viewer. The left is closed, fingers curling around some lost object, probably a bow.

Munich Kouros

This kouros is very well-preserved and currently resides in the Glyptothek Museum in Munich. Like other kouroi, it advances with its left foot while keeping its arms close to its sides. Attic sculptors, like those who carved this kouros, preferred to emphasize musculature. This tendency is clearly seen in this later, more naturalistic statue.

Kouros from Paros

This kouros was found at the Asklepieion, or temple of the healing god Asklepieos, at Paros. The statue is missing its lower legs and right arm. It has very broad shoulders and a wider waist. The hair is held back from the child-like face with a thin headband. The statue's remaining arm is bent slightly at the elbow, but still ultimately conforms to the typical pose of the kouros, with its fist clenched at its thigh.

Kouros of Merenda

This kouros was discovered in a necropolis at Myrrhinous along with a kore, the female equivalent of a kouros, known as Phrasiklea. Both statues were extremely well-preserved, having been buried in ancient times for protection. Phrasikleia was identified as belonging to an already discovered base which told the story of the girl whose grave the statue once stood over. However, little is known about the identity of the Merenda kouros.

The Strangford Apollo

It was once thought that all kouroi represented Apollo. While all are Apollian, or representative of many excellence, beauty, and goodness, the identity of each kouros is dependent on context and attributes held. This particular statue is a later version of the kouros, though it still has many elements of earlier kouroi. For example, its abdomen muscles are still delineated with straight, surface-level lines.

Kouros from Ptoon

This kouros was found at a sanctuary of Apollo on Mount Ptoon. Its hair and headband recall the Getty kouros. However, its body has much less definition than other kouroi. Its torso slopes gently in and out at the waist, and it has a much boxier build than the Getty kouros. Its feet are blocky and simple; they lack the naturalism found in later kouroi.

Kouros from Actium

This kouros was originally from Actium. The statue is missing its heads, its lower legs, and its left forearm. Straight lines at ninety degree angles delineate the abdomen muscles on the torso, oddly juxtaposed with the delicately modeled pectorals and collarbone above. It resembles other kouroi from Naxos and so has been attributed to a workshop on that island.

Kouros from the East Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

This kouros, originally from the east pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, is badly damaged. There were originally two other kouroi accompanying this one, which are now lost. They would have been mirrored by three korai, the female equivalent of kouroi, on the opposite side of the pediment. This statue seems to follow the very traditional kouros pose with its left leg slightly forward and its hands at its side, even though it was a later work.

Melanes Kouros

This large kouros remains unfinished, abandoned near the quarry the marble was originally taken from. It allows the viewer more insight into how these objects were created, showing that kouroi were at least partially formed laying prone in the quarries. From there, they were transported for the details to be carved in a workshop. The leg of this statue must have broken en route, and so it was left behind. Archaic sculptors commonly abandoned any kouros if they found any flaw in the marble.

Colossos of the Naxians

This fragmentary piece is part of the little that remains of this once gigantic statue. From c. 580 BCE on Delos, this enormous statue originally stood over ten meters tall and would have been taller than any of the surrounding buildings in the area. This statue has a drill hole in its remaining hand, meaning it would have held an attribute. Delos was the supposed birthplace of Apollo, and perhaps this statue once held a bow in order to represent the god.

The Marion Kouros

The torso and legs are the only surviving pieces of this kouros. It was found in a tomb at Marion on Cyprus and was most likely imported there from another island. Its smooth features are indicative of island preferences for the male form. Most mainland kouroi had more defined musculature. It now resides in the British Museum.