A pair of kouros statues in Archaic style dating from the 6th century BCE. Brothers, they were Argive heroes famous for their devotion to their mother.
Kouros statues of the famous Argive twins Kleobis and Biton, whose story is related by Herodotus. As the story goes, their mother needed to travel to Argos for a festival of Hera, but the oxen were late returning from the fields. Taking it upon themselves, the brothers hitched the wagon to their own backs, pulling their mother 45 stades (about 5 miles) to the temple. Upon their arrival, they were venerated for their filial piety, and their mother prayed for the goddess to bestow upon them the "best thing for man : τὸ ἀνθρώπῳ τυχεῖν ἄριστον." The goddess fulfills this wish, granting them death at their highest moment while asleep in the temple. Herodotus then mentions the argive dedication of these statues. Within the narrative, the boys are identified by the Athenian lawmaker Solon as being the "second most fortunate men" during his conversation with the Lydian king. The statues are Archaic in style and date from the 6th century BCE, a date consistent with the account of Herodotus. An inscription on the base identifies the sculptor as Polymedes of Argos.
Creation date unknown. Photograph processed July 1978. Notes written on the slide or index: Kleobis and Biton - Delphi.
