Origins & Early Life

Praxiteles (; Greek: Πραξιτέλης) of Athens, the son of Cephisodotus the Elder, was the most renowned of the Attic sculptors of the 4th century BC. He was the first to sculpt the nude female form in a life-size statue. While no indubitably attributable sculpture by Praxiteles is extant, numerous copies of his works have survived; several authors, including Pliny the Elder, wrote of his works; and coins engraved with silhouettes of his various famous statuary types from the period still exist. A supposed relationship between Praxiteles and his beautiful model, the Thespian courtesan Phryne, has inspired speculation and interpretation in works of art ranging from painting (Gérôme) to comic opera (Saint-Saëns) to shadow play (Donnay).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Some writers have maintained that there were two sculptors of the name Praxiteles. One was a contemporary of Pheidias, and the other his more celebrated grandson. Though the repetition of the same name in every other generation is common in Greece, there is no certain evidence for either position. Accurate dates for Praxiteles are elusive, but it is likely that he was no longer working in the time of Alexander the Great, in the absence of evidence...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Scopas — Contemporary (Born in -395) (-395): Influential 4th Century BC Greek sculptor known for naturalism and detailed portraiture.
• Thucydides — Contemporary (Died in -395) (-395): Pioneering Athenian historian and general, author of the Peloponnesian War.
• Darius III — Contemporary (Died in -330) (-330): The last Achaemenid King of Kings of Persia, reigning from 336 to 330 BC.
• Amyrtaeus — Contemporary figure (Died in -399) (-399): Pharaoh of the Twenty-eighth Dynasty, ending the first Persian occupation of Egypt.
• Mozi — Contemporary figure (Died in -391) (-391): Founder of Mohism, a major school of thought during China's Warring States period.
• Attalus (general) — Contemporary figure (Born in -400) (-400): Key Macedonian general and courtier serving Philip II of Macedon.
• Bessus — Contemporary figure (Born in -400) (-400): Achaemenid satrap and self-proclaimed King of Kings who resisted Alexander the Great.
• Lysippos — Contemporary figure (Born in -390) (-390): Master Greek sculptor bridging the Classical to the Hellenistic period.
• Shang Yang — Contemporary figure (Born in -390) (-390): Influential reformer of the State of Qin during the Warring States period.
• -395 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -395
• -330 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -330