Parthenon frieze fragment

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The Parthenon's frieze forms a continuous band of low-relief scenes encircling the upper part of the temple cella within the outer colonnade. The theme depicted is the procession to the Acropolis that took place during the Great Panathenaia festival honoring goddess Athena. The frieze consists of 115 blocks, measuring 160 meters in total length and standing 1.02 meters high. Approximately 378 human and divine figures, as well as at least 220 animals, primarily horses, are shown in the procession. Horses and chariots dominate most of the space on the frieze. The sacrificial procession follows, featuring animals and groups of men and women carrying ceremonial vessels and offerings. In the middle of the east end, above the temple entrance, is depicted the peak of the Panathenaia festival, a multi-day celebration. The procession concludes with the presentation of the peplos, a gift from the Athenian people to the goddess's cult statue, an ancient wooden xoanon known as diipetes (sent down from heaven). Flanking the peplos scene are the twelve Olympian Gods, positioned left and right. Of the preserved frieze sections today, 50 meters reside in the Acropolis Museum, while 80 meters are housed in the British Museum. A single block is displayed at the Louvre, with scattered fragments located in various institutions: Vatican Museums, National Museum, Copenhagen's collection, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, University Museum in Würzburg, and Glyptothek in Munich.