Ancient Greek Art: The Tyrannicides

Next up is the Tyrannicides. Now these are also an extra credit example but because we can use them for both art and religion I thought I'd follow with them next. Now they are known as Harmodius and Aristeguiton. You've got Harmodius the younger fella on the right hand side and Aristeguiton is on the left. Now this statue stood in the Athenian Agora. It's got a date of 477-476 BC and it's a Roman marble copy of an original bronze statue by sculptors Critios of Critios boy and Nesiotes and they were making a copy of an earlier statue by a sculptor called Antonor to replace one took by the Persians in 480 BC when they sacked Athens. So it's really interesting that they must have really really admired and loved this statue in Athens to have immediately replaced it within a couple of years after the sacking of that city. So in terms of how we can use this statue for Greek religion well they're a very good example of hero cult because they were actually worshipped in Athens for an act that they had done in their lifetime. So they had attempted to assassinate the tyrant of Athens who was known as Hippias and even though it was a failed attempt they killed his brother Hipparchus instead. This was seen as a precursor to democracy and in fact it was only a number of years later that democracy was actually established in Athens. So after their deaths they were actually worshipped and they had a tomb in the Kerameikos cemetery in the most important section and their ancestors were even awarded various honours. So for example people were not allowed to speak badly of them. So in terms of how we could use them for Greek art well a good example of how in the early classical period we've moved away from predominantly grave markers and more towards honorific statues. They're a group but unlike Clovis and Byton you get this impression that they are meant to stand next to each other and interact. They've both got that middle leg forward in a mirrored pose. We've also got more individuality than we had in the archaic period. So for a start we can tell that Aristeguiton who is on the left hand side to us is the older of the two because he's bearded but also his body is also kind of more heavily defined than that of Aristeguiton again showing his age difference over the younger man. And finally we've got the addition of personality again linked to their ages. So Aristeguiton the older on our left is concealing his dagger so he's much more wary and aware of the serious task that they're about to undertake whereas the younger with perhaps the confidence of youth is striding forwards with his arm high above his head weapon on show of course pose made possible by the use of bronze. And in terms of where you could see this pair today well they're in the Naples Archaeological Museum in Italy.