The Mauling of Milo de Cretone

Oil on box canvas

32" x 22"

Contemporary Figurative Fine Art Painting from London UK

Milo de Crotone was a Greek athlete of the 6th century BC. He won many titles at
the Panhellenic Games in the decades 530 to 510 BC in wrestling events, winning six or
seven crowns at Olympia, six or seven at Delphi, nine at Nemea and ten at
the Isthmus. According to legend Milo was crossing Italy and having found on the way an
old oak tree cut down and half-opened, he undertook to finish splitting it with his bare
hands - but as the tree sprung back to its original state and not having had time to
withdraw his fingers, he became a prisoner of the tree his fingers vice-bound. Not being
able to extricate himself and unable to defend himself, a pack of wolves devoured him.