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Charioteer This is indisputably the masterpiece of the museum and one of the loveliest surviving works of ancient Greek sculpture. The statue is of bronze and is 1.80 m. high. It belonged to a monument dedicated by Polyzalos, brother of the Tyrants of Syracuse, Gelon and leron, in honor of his victory at the Pythia of 478 or 474 BC. It comprised part of a large votive which also included at least one quadriga and, perhaps, a small groom. The young athlete wears a long chiton belted above the waist and bound at the armpits by fine tapes. His head is crowned with a victor's filet and in his hands, only one of which has survived, he holds the reins. The facial expression is serious, noble and self-confident and the inlaid eyes are preserved in first class condition, add vitality and especial attraction. The folds of his chiton, which fall easily and naturally in the upper part of the body, while in the lower part they are all more or less identical and vertical, thus emphasize the tall, slender stature of the youth. There is nothing violent or furious in his stance, but simplicity, calm and controlled movement. This outstanding statue, which is dated to around 470 BC, is a representative work of the Severe style of ancient Greek sculpture. Its creator remains unknown, though scholars have proposed the names of various important bronze sculptors, such as Pythagoras, Kalamis and Kritios.

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