Image Details

Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz/Art Resource, NY

An athlete balances on one foot while his trainer helps him stretch, on this sixth-century B.C. red-figure krater painted by Euphronius. The athletic/religious festival at Olympia was dedicated to Zeus, the chief god of the Greek pantheon, and victorious athletes were thought to be the favorites of Zeus—largely because they combined prodigious athletic prowess with moderation and modesty.