Harmodius and Aristogeiton
Title
Harmodius and Aristogeiton
Date
Roman copy, unknown date; Greek original ca. 477 BC, Classical
Artist or Workshop
Kritios and Nesiotes, original artists
Materials
Marble copy of Bronze original
Height of the work
220 cm tall
Provenience
Copy said to be from Tivoli outside Rome
Original from the Athenian Agora
Original from the Athenian Agora
Current Location
National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy
Description and Significance
Description:
The marble statues “Harmodius and Aristogeiton” consist of two standing, nude male figures. From the perspective of the viewer, the man to the right is Harmodius. His hair is quite stylized and made up of rows of snail shell-like curls. His face is serene and mask-like. He has deep-set almond shaped eyes and a slight archaic smile. Unfortunately, his nose has been mostly broken off so that only the nostrils remain. Aristogeiton’s hair, on the other hand, is much smoother and almost helmet-like. He also has a beard which is quite rough and almost crudely carved. His nose is broken off as well, and he shows additional signs of damage all along his cheeks. His eyes, while deep-set, are a bit rounder than Harmodius’. Both Harmodius and Aristogeiton’s postures are dynamic and full of movement. Unlike their stylized heads, their bodies show evidence of contrapposto. Harmodius’ left arm is raised above his head and he is holding what appears to be the end of a sword, with the blade missing. His right arm is stretched slightly behind him and is held in place by a marble support connected to his leg. The muscles in his arms and torso are defined and twist along the line of his body. He appears to be lunging forward, with his left knee slightly bent and his right leg stretched behind him. His left hip is leaning on a small tree trunk placed beside him. His right foot is slightly raised, but the marble from the round base slopes upward to remain connected to his foot. Aristogeiton’s body mirrors his counterpart’s position, with his right arm and leg extending forward. His arm, however, is extended in front of him as opposed to above his head. There is a chlamys draped over his arm and he is holding the handle of a sword. There is a tree trunk placed against his right leg and the fabric. Like Harmodius, his back foot is placed on a slight slope in the base, making it appear as though it is raised.
Significance:
These sculptures are noteworthy works, as they do not quite fit in either the Archaic Period or the Classical Period. Instead, they include characteristics typical of each of these periods and are emblematic of the transition that occurred at this time. Both Harmodius and Aristogeiton’s heads are archaic in style, though Harmodius’ more so than Aristogeiton’s. Harmodius features the trademark almond shaped eyes, snail shell curls, and archaic smile. Harmodius’ head, however, is not original to the statue. It has been restored based off of a plaster cast of a sculpture of Aristogeion’s head at Baiae. While their heads appear archaic, their bodies are certainly Classical in style. Although they are still a little bit stiffer than most Classical statues, they are much more dynamic than statues dating to the Archaic period. They are standing in a dramatic contrapposto, with their front leg bearing their weight. They have defined musculature that responds to the movement of their body, a common characteristic of Classical sculptures as well. In addition to Aristogeiton’s head, there have been a few other restorations. Aristogeiton’s left hand and right arm were added at the same time as his head. Harmodius’ arms, lower left leg, and right leg were all restored as well. In addition to their style, the subjects of these sculptures are quite interesting. These statues, in particular, are based on Classical bronze originals, which themselves were based on Archaic bronze sculptures. In the Classical originals, there would not have been tree trunks, as those are used to support the added weight of marble. The early Classical originals would have been displayed at the Athenian Agora after the Archaic originals were stolen by the Persians during their attack on Athens in 480 BC. The statues were commissioned by the city of Athens to celebrate Harmodius and Aristogeiton as heroes of the state. The two men planned to kill the tyrant Hippias, and his brother Hipparchos. However, they only managed to kill Hipparchos, and were killed themselves soon after. It also appears that the assassination attempt was over personal matters, not due to Hippias’ tyranny. According to ancient sources, Harmodius may have been romantically pursued by Hipparchos but turned him down in favor of Aristogeiton. Nonetheless, their actions were seen as an attempt to save Athens from tyranny. After Hippias was finally overthrown in 510 BC, they were celebrated as heroes by the Athenians, and the first bronze sculptures were commissioned. Their actions were once again solidified when these statues of the two men were commissioned by the Athenians to replace the bronze originals and set up at public expense. This is the first instance where portraits were set up by a community, rather than the individuals they portrayed. The communal nature of this commission further confirms the figures’ images as heroes to Athenian State as a whole, regardless of actual outcome of their actions. In fact, Harmodius and Aristogeiton’s legacy has earned them the title of “The Tyrant Slayers” to this day.
The marble statues “Harmodius and Aristogeiton” consist of two standing, nude male figures. From the perspective of the viewer, the man to the right is Harmodius. His hair is quite stylized and made up of rows of snail shell-like curls. His face is serene and mask-like. He has deep-set almond shaped eyes and a slight archaic smile. Unfortunately, his nose has been mostly broken off so that only the nostrils remain. Aristogeiton’s hair, on the other hand, is much smoother and almost helmet-like. He also has a beard which is quite rough and almost crudely carved. His nose is broken off as well, and he shows additional signs of damage all along his cheeks. His eyes, while deep-set, are a bit rounder than Harmodius’. Both Harmodius and Aristogeiton’s postures are dynamic and full of movement. Unlike their stylized heads, their bodies show evidence of contrapposto. Harmodius’ left arm is raised above his head and he is holding what appears to be the end of a sword, with the blade missing. His right arm is stretched slightly behind him and is held in place by a marble support connected to his leg. The muscles in his arms and torso are defined and twist along the line of his body. He appears to be lunging forward, with his left knee slightly bent and his right leg stretched behind him. His left hip is leaning on a small tree trunk placed beside him. His right foot is slightly raised, but the marble from the round base slopes upward to remain connected to his foot. Aristogeiton’s body mirrors his counterpart’s position, with his right arm and leg extending forward. His arm, however, is extended in front of him as opposed to above his head. There is a chlamys draped over his arm and he is holding the handle of a sword. There is a tree trunk placed against his right leg and the fabric. Like Harmodius, his back foot is placed on a slight slope in the base, making it appear as though it is raised.
Significance:
These sculptures are noteworthy works, as they do not quite fit in either the Archaic Period or the Classical Period. Instead, they include characteristics typical of each of these periods and are emblematic of the transition that occurred at this time. Both Harmodius and Aristogeiton’s heads are archaic in style, though Harmodius’ more so than Aristogeiton’s. Harmodius features the trademark almond shaped eyes, snail shell curls, and archaic smile. Harmodius’ head, however, is not original to the statue. It has been restored based off of a plaster cast of a sculpture of Aristogeion’s head at Baiae. While their heads appear archaic, their bodies are certainly Classical in style. Although they are still a little bit stiffer than most Classical statues, they are much more dynamic than statues dating to the Archaic period. They are standing in a dramatic contrapposto, with their front leg bearing their weight. They have defined musculature that responds to the movement of their body, a common characteristic of Classical sculptures as well. In addition to Aristogeiton’s head, there have been a few other restorations. Aristogeiton’s left hand and right arm were added at the same time as his head. Harmodius’ arms, lower left leg, and right leg were all restored as well. In addition to their style, the subjects of these sculptures are quite interesting. These statues, in particular, are based on Classical bronze originals, which themselves were based on Archaic bronze sculptures. In the Classical originals, there would not have been tree trunks, as those are used to support the added weight of marble. The early Classical originals would have been displayed at the Athenian Agora after the Archaic originals were stolen by the Persians during their attack on Athens in 480 BC. The statues were commissioned by the city of Athens to celebrate Harmodius and Aristogeiton as heroes of the state. The two men planned to kill the tyrant Hippias, and his brother Hipparchos. However, they only managed to kill Hipparchos, and were killed themselves soon after. It also appears that the assassination attempt was over personal matters, not due to Hippias’ tyranny. According to ancient sources, Harmodius may have been romantically pursued by Hipparchos but turned him down in favor of Aristogeiton. Nonetheless, their actions were seen as an attempt to save Athens from tyranny. After Hippias was finally overthrown in 510 BC, they were celebrated as heroes by the Athenians, and the first bronze sculptures were commissioned. Their actions were once again solidified when these statues of the two men were commissioned by the Athenians to replace the bronze originals and set up at public expense. This is the first instance where portraits were set up by a community, rather than the individuals they portrayed. The communal nature of this commission further confirms the figures’ images as heroes to Athenian State as a whole, regardless of actual outcome of their actions. In fact, Harmodius and Aristogeiton’s legacy has earned them the title of “The Tyrant Slayers” to this day.
References
Breckenridge, James D. Likeness: a conceptual history of ancient portraiture. Evanston: Northwe stern U Press, 1969. 85-87. Print. Smith, Amy . "Athenian Political Art from the fifth and fourth centuries BCE: Images of Historical Individuals." Athenian Political Art from the fifth and fourth centuries BCE: Images of Historical Individuals. N.p., Jan. 2003. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. <http://www.stoa.org/projects/demos/article_portraits?page=7&greekencoding=>. "Tyrannicides - Aristogeiton." Tyrannicides - Aristogeiton — Sito ufficiale del Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. <http://cir.campania.beniculturali.it/museoarcheologiconazionale/thematic-views/image-gallery/RA97/?searchterm=Harmodius and Aristogeiton>. "Tyrannicides - Harmodius." Tyrannicides - Harmodius — Sito ufficiale del Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. <http://cir.campania.beniculturali.it/museoarcheologiconazionale/thematic-views/image-gallery/RA95/?searchterm=Harmodius and Aristogeiton>.
Contributor
Becca Peters
Citation
Kritios and Nesiotes, original artists, “Harmodius and Aristogeiton,” Digital Portrait "Basket" - ARTH488A "Ancient Mediterranean Portraiture", accessed April 19, 2024, http://classicalchopped.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/24.
Item Relations
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