Origins & Early Life

Myron of Eleutherae (; Ancient Greek: Μύρων, Myrōn [mý.rɔːn]; c. 485 – c. 440 BC) was an Athenian sculptor from the mid-5th century BC. Alongside three other Greek sculptors, Polykleitos, Pheidias, and Praxiteles, Myron is considered as one of the most important sculptors of classical antiquity.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was born in Eleutherae on the borders of Boeotia and Attica. According to Natural History, a Latin encyclopedia by Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79), a scholar in Ancient Rome, Ageladas of Argos was his teacher. None of his original sculptures are known to survive, but there are many later copies of his works, such as his Discobolus, mostly Roman. Myron worked almost exclusively in bronze and his fame rested principally upon his representations of athletes (including his iconic Diskobolos), in which he made a revolution, according to commentators in Antiquity, by introducing greater boldness of pose and a more perfect rhythm, subordinating the parts to the whole. Pliny's remark that Myron's works were numerosior than those of Polycleitus and "more diligent" seem to suggest that they were considered more harmonious in proportions (numeri) and at the same time more convincing in...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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