Also in the Athens National Museum (see post below) is a life-sized bronze statue of a boy riding a galloping horse, all caught in mid-stride. The horse seems as if it flies through the air. The ancient Greeks used little boys as jockeys for obvious reasons. He looks even smaller atop the ferocious beast he rides. He is without doubt a poor slave boy, yet on this magnificent horse he’s a champion and a god-like hero. He seems as if he’s calm and knows exactly what he’s doing. His face is contorted with exertion, his mouth open and gasping as he rides to victory. He seems to look to the stands to acknowledge his fans. Despite his low social status, the sculptor captured the low-born boy’s greatest moment, which we now can appreciate 1500 years later, standing alongside statues of striding gods and posing emperors.