Funerary statue of a Scythian

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Found in the ancient cemetery of Kerameikos, Athens, lies a Scythian warrior, now headless, depicted in a distinctive pose, kneeling on one leg. His characteristic barbarian garment is open at the front, revealing tight-fitting trousers underneath. It's likely that he was taking aim with his bow, as indicated by his right hand pulling the bowstring and his left hand grasping the bow in mid-air. The missing left leg and hand are preserved in the Kerameikos. A gorytos, a quiver containing a bow and arrows, is visible on his left thigh. Scythian archers were often employed by the Athenian state, which suggests that this grave enclosure, adorned with two statues, including another Scythian inv. no. 823, may have belonged to an Athenian official. An alternative theory proposes that both statues originated from the grave of a foreigner, identified as the 'Persian', inv. no.2728.