This publication examines how archaeological objects
concretise notions of time, giving them tangible
form. The focus is on a particular statue, depicting
the “opportune moment” or Kairos, created by the
Greek sculptor Lysippos and dating from the era
of Alexander the Great. It will be shown how this
statue absorbed earlier notions of the opportune
moment, combined them into a new form, and thus
imbued this form with lasting potency.
The statue was interpreted and re-interpreted in art
and literature since Classical times, and, in changing
from one medium to another, emphasis was put
on new aspects. Because of this, the long-lost statue
has made a potent and lasting impact on people’s
notions of time