Leochares facts for kids
Leochares (pronounced Lee-oh-KAR-eez) was a famous Greek sculptor from the city of Athens. He lived a very long time ago, in the 300s BC. He was known for creating beautiful statues that captured how people looked and felt.
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Famous Sculptures
Leochares was a busy artist who worked on many important projects. Some of his most well-known works are actually Roman copies of his original Greek statues. This means the Romans admired his art so much they made their own versions!
The Mausoleum of Mausolos
One of Leochares' big projects was helping to build the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. This was a huge and fancy tomb for a ruler named Mausolos. It was so grand that people called it one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". Leochares helped create some of the amazing sculptures that decorated this famous building.
Diana of Versailles and Apollo Belvedere
Two of the most famous statues linked to Leochares are the Diana of Versailles and the Apollo Belvedere.
- The Diana of Versailles is a Roman copy of a statue Leochares made around 325 BC. It shows the goddess Diana (or Artemis in Greek) as a hunter.
- The Apollo Belvedere is another Roman copy. Many people believe Leochares created the original. This statue shows the god Apollo, and it is now kept in Vatican City.
Statues of Important People
Leochares also made special statues of important people. These were called portrait-statues. They were often made from valuable materials like ivory and gold.
He created statues of powerful leaders and their families, including:
- Philip II of Macedon, a king.
- His son, Alexander the Great, one of history's most famous conquerors.
- Amyntas III of Macedon, another king.
- Olympias, Alexander the Great's mother.
- Eurydice I of Macedon, a queen.
These special statues were placed in a circular building called the Philippeion. This building was in a place called the Altis at Olympia, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. King Philip II built the Philippeion to celebrate his big victory at the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC).
Images for kids
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A robot, symbolizing modern technology.
