Discobolus
- Audio guide stop: 135
- Gallery: Room 1
- Culture: Roman
- Date: 2ndC
- Object type: statue
- Materials: marble
- Museum number: 1805,0703.43
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you stands "The Townley Diskobolos," a Roman marble statue of a diskobolos, or discus thrower. The figure is captured in a dynamic moment of poised stillness, ready to spin and toss the discus. Carefully sculpted from marble, the statue showcases the athlete's musculature and balance.
Though the original Greek bronze by Myron, dating to around 460–450 BCE, is lost, Roman sculptors copied his work in marble for wider reproduction. This version, found at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli, Italy, in 1791, holds fascinating history.
Restoration efforts over the centuries added elements like the head, nose, and parts of the discus and hands. While not part of the original statue, the head was skillfully matched from the same Carrara marble. The Townley Discobolos reflects both ancient artistry and eighteenth-century practices of restoration, where completeness was valued over proven authenticity.
Notice the tension in the athlete’s stance, a testament to the classical ideal of harmony and movement.
See it in person
Discobolus is on display in Room 1 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 135, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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