New York Kouros                              Apollo from west pediment of Zeus temple, Olympia

The Greek kouros embodies the iconic perfection of the early citizen of the polis. He stands straight, in symmetrical balance, and with the four facets of the stone block still apparent. Thus the style encodes his personal discretion, control, and physical stature. Although the figure of Apollo at Olympia does not stand aloof in the traditional symmetrical pose, his presence in the midst of the chaos of the Lapith wedding represents the injection of rational order and serves as a model of divine behavior.