This figure is mostly nude, but he wears a warrior’s helmet. On his left arm—just below the elbow—you see the band that held his shield. Look closely under his right armpit, and you will see a wound there, probably not a fatal wound, but a drain on his strength. The warrior plants his feet on sloping ground and leans back in a very unstable pose. He probably held a spear in his raised hand. It may have helped to balance him. This peculiar pose must belong to some specific hero, and scholars have debated as to who this could be.

The sloping terrain is one clue. When the Greek heroes sailed to fight the Trojans, they received a prophecy that the first man to descend from the ship on Trojan soil would also be the first to die. Perhaps this is a statue of Protesilaos, the Greek who fulfilled the prophecy. The Trojan, who will kill him, may already be approaching from below. Protesilaos may be looking down to see him. In keeping with the heroic mentality, he understands the need to die and knows his death will bring him glory.