Charioteer of Delphi and quadriga reconstructed – 3D MODEL

Discovered by French excavators in 1896 near the northwest area of the Temple of Apollo, the Charioteer of Delphi stands out as one of the few original bronze statues to withstand the test of time. It remained in the same position as noted by Pausanias, the Greek travel writer of the 2nd century BC, in his work “Guide to Greece”. Interestingly, the statue was buried due to a rockfall avalanche and had to be rescued. While the recovery of this masterpiece in Delphi was a significant achievement, scholars speculate that it is only a fragment of a much larger work, the rest of which remains unknown to this day.

The Charioteer of Delphi was created by casting multiple pieces of bronze using the lost wax method. In this technique, the sculptor first designs and creates a clay model, then molds the features in wax and finally covers it with clay. When molten bronze is added, the wax melts away, leaving the final result. It is worth noting that two fragments of text were found near the Charioteer.

The inscription closest to the statue reads “Polyzalos dedicated me” in ancient Greek. Polyzalos was the tyrant of Gela in Sicily, and it is believed that he dedicated the statue to commemorate his victory in the chariot race at the Pythian Games and to express gratitude to the god Apollo for his triumph. Consequently, the Charioteer of Delphi is also considered part of the renowned votive offerings typical of Greek art.

The second fragment, less legible, suggests that the Charioteer was sculpted by Sotades. Given the timing of the Pythian Games, held every four years, the sculpture can be dated to just after 478 BCE, 474 BCE, or 470 BCE, placing it in the early Classical period.

One of the sculptors of Hephaisteion has been able to return the Charioteer to his four-horse chariot to restore the splendor it once had when installed northwest of the entrance to the Temple of the divine Apollo in Delphi.