Der Kalbträger von der Akropolis

Moschoforos (3D View) German Page

The Moschoforos (1.65 m, Calf bearer) around 570 BC (Athens) was found in Athens in 1864. Probably a work of Phaidimos. The name of this young man is Rhombos (according to a inscription probably an offer by Rhombos). He carries the poor animal in order to sacrifice it to Athena Pallas. It is now in the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. It is a piece from the Archaic Period (600-480) BC before the Classic Revolution. Some parts are missing (chin, his hands, parts of his legs). The calf has some traces of the blue initial color. The eyes and other parts are slightly asymmetric.

Calf-Bearer and Kritios Boy, at dig site on Acropolis in 1865.

Another similar statue is described by Pausanias: Here is dedicated the throne of Danaus, and here Is placed a statue of Biton, in the form of a man carrying a bull on his shoulders. According to the poet Lyceas, when the Argives were holding a sacrifice to Zeus at Nemea, Biton by sheer physical strength took up a bull and carried it there.

The wrestler Milo of Crotona was several times Olympic champion for around 26 years. He won the boys wrestling in the 60th Olympiad in 540 BC, five-time wrestling champion from the 62nd to the 66th Olympiad, (532 to 516 BC). He wore a lion-skin cloak and carried a club like Hercules, very impressive athlete as he was eating 8 kg meat each day. Some say that he even once carried to the Olympic stadium a four-year old bull on his shoulders that he slaughter and devour it.

Except the ancient Greek versions of the Hermes Kriophoros also Christian versions such as Christ as the good shepherd, c.225 AD, exist.

A detailed description of the Moschoforos (German) (The information of the former name Kriophoros maybe is not correct since the name means ram-bearer and often is shown with Hermes as Hermes Kriophoros, more likely is the name Apollo Nomios, i.e. Apollo the Herdsman)

German Reports

Das Rind in der Kunst, Das Rind in der plastischen Kunst : Hommage an eine Schönheit