This photos shows a mug that was on sale in one of the Greek museums earlier this year (2025).
The statue of the Discobolus (the discus thrower) is a famous ancient Greek sculpture, and is generally agreed to be a masterpiece of classical art.
The original bronze statue by the sculptor Myron of Eleutherae (c. 460–450 BC) is lost, but we still know about it because it was copied by the Romans.
The Discobolus is often shown as a symbol of athletic perfection and a flawless form. However, if you look at the statue from a scientific or anatomical perspective, apparently the pose is actually impossible to hold for a human being in real life.
I can’t say whether that is true or not – those of you with anatomical training will be better at judging that. As far as I can tell from what I have read, the torso is twisted in a way that doesn’t align with the natural mechanics of throwing a discus.
The muscles, it seems, both in the body and in the face lack tension. Instead of physical reality, the statue appears to be showing the Classical Greek focus on perfect form and the idealisation of beauty over realistic representation of an athlete’s effort.
It is generally agreed that the statue is a beautiful piece of art, but not a practical guide to throwing a discus! What do you think about it?