Paeonius
Paeonius was a Greek sculptor from Mende, primarily known for creating the statue of Nike (Victory), which was dedicated to Olympian Zeus by the Messenians and Naupactians. This statue commemorates the Athenian victory at Sphacteria during the Peloponnesian War, specifically the triumph of 14,000 Athenians over a smaller Spartan force in 425 or 424 BCE. Discovered in fragments at Olympia in 1875, the Nike of Paeonius is celebrated for its artistic significance, marking an important transition in Greek sculpture from the grandeur of earlier works, like those of the Parthenon, to a more dynamic and playful style that emerged in the later fifth century BCE. In addition to the Nike, Paeonius is sometimes credited with other sculptures and fragments, including representations of children associated with the myth of Niobe. The Nike statue remains a prominent example of Classical Greek art and has influenced various cultural representations, including being featured on a postage stamp for the first modern Olympics in 1896.
On this Page
Paeonius
Related civilization: Classical Greece
Major role/position: Sculptor, architect
Life
Paeonius (pee-OH-nee-uhs) is known only by the inscription on the triangular base of his statue Nike (Victory), which states that the Messenians and the Naupactians consecrated the statue to Olympian Zeus as a tithe of the spoils of war and that Paeonius of Mende made it and won the right to make the acroteria for the god’s temple. The statue, discovered broken at Olympia in 1875, was carved to celebrate the victory of 14,000 Athenians under Demosthenes and Cleon of Athens over 420 Spartans and 1,000 Helots under Epitadas at Sphacteria in 425 or 424 b.c.e. in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 b.c.e.). Several other sculptures and fragments, such as a running girl, a kneeling boy (both perhaps Niobe’s children), and a helmeted head, are sometimes attributed to him.
Influence
Paeonius’s Nike marks the transition from the majestic style of the Parthenon and other great works of the mid-fifth century b.c.e. to the more playful style of the later fifth century b.c.e. Even in pieces, it is still generally recognized as one of the most magnificent examples of Classical Greek art. A reconstruction of it appeared on a Greek postage stamp in 1896 to celebrate the first modern Olympics.
Bibliography
Boardman, John. Greek Sculpture: The Classical Period. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1995.
Ridgway, Brunilde Sismondo. Fifth-Century Styles in Greek Sculpture. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1981.