Parthenon Frieze
A continuous low-relief marble band running around the inner chamber of the Parthenon, depicting the grand Panathenaic procession in honour of Athena
The Meaning of Parthenon Frieze
The Parthenon Frieze is a continuous sculptural band that originally ran along the upper exterior wall of the inner chamber of the Parthenon, stretching approximately 160 metres in total length. Carved between 443 and 438 BCE under the supervision of Pheidias, it depicts the Panathenaic procession — the great civic and religious festival held every four years in honour of Athena Polias, patron goddess of Athens. The frieze shows horsemen, charioteers, musicians, sacrificial animals, elders, and young women bearing offerings, all converging on an assembly of the Olympian gods seated on the east side. The composition includes over 360 human figures and more than 200 animals, making it one of the most ambitious relief sculptures ever attempted in antiquity. The east central scene, showing a child handling a folded cloth, has been interpreted variously as the presentation of the sacred peplos to Athena or a mythological sacrifice. Portions of the frieze are divided between the British Museum, the Acropolis Museum in Athens, and several other European collections.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
The entire frieze contained over 360 individually carved human figures, each with distinct poses, drapery, and expressions
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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