Dying Warrior- Temple of Aphaia

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Athena stands at the center of the pediment, surrounded by a fierce battle on either side. The warriors are armed but nude, except for two archers who wear traditional attire. One of them sports an Oriental dress while the other wears a short chiton under a cuirass. This depiction is reminiscent of the famous Trojan War described in Homer's epic poem. The pediment focuses on the exploits of Aeginetan heroes who fought alongside the Greeks in this legendary conflict. The identification of these figures relies heavily on the Oriental archer, although the overall similarity to the East Pediment provides strong support. Athena's prominence is unusual but crucial to the Aeginetan program, much like her role in the East Pediment. Athena appears in a unique form here compared to her depiction in the East Pediment. She stands quietly aloof and uninvolved, as if on a separate plane. Her presence does not divide the pediment like it does in the east, allowing for an even distribution of the two forces throughout the field. The designer has employed a different compositional scheme, featuring three pairs of paired opponents fighting one-on-one, each side of Athena hosting six warriors. This approach is traditional and reminiscent of the older format. The two pairs of warriors closest to Athena are likely to be the victorious heroes of the battle. On the Aeginetan side, this should be Ajax. Figure W2 on the right of Athena remains unidentified due to a lack of distinguishing characteristics. However, Ohly assigns a shield to W9 on the left of Athena, adorned with an eagle and snake motif. This is one of two shields that preserve their original painted devices, which were likely unique to each warrior. Pindar describes the eagle as the sign sent to announce Ajax's birth and name, providing significant evidence for his identification. The shield of W10's opponent also survives with intact paint, featuring the forepart of a boar. However, no direct connection can be made between this image and any particular hero. If W9 and W10 represent Ajax and his Trojan opponent, then W2 and W3 should represent a Trojan and Greek warrior respectively, but specific identifications are not provided. On either side of the champion pairs are the archers. W11 on the left wears Eastern attire, including a long-sleeved dress, leather cuirass, and hat, suggesting he represents Paris. His counterpart W4 on the right is likely Teucer, Ajax's brother and renowned archer in the Trojan campaign. The contrast between their styles of dress reinforces Teucer's Greek lineage. The archers' opponents, both victims of arrows, lie in the corners, framing a final pair of Greek and Trojan warriors.