In the transitional phase to the Classical Period bronze statues were also cast, such as Poseidon that was recovered from the seabed off the south coast of Boeotia. The statue (far right) that had been dedicated to the god, according to the inscription found at the base, shows him holding his trident vertically.
At the center, already in the Classical Period:
Bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon.
Found in the sea of Cape Artemision, in northern Euboea.
The god, shown in great stride, extends his left arm before his body, while holding a thunderbolt or trident in his right hand.
His identification as Zeus or Poseidon is controversial (the former identification is more probable). It is one of the few preserved original statues of the Severe Style, notable for the exquisite rendering of motion and anatomy. It is certainly the work of a great sculptor of the early Classical period.
ca. 460 BC.
National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.