Parthenon frieze _ North IV,9-12

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The British Museum holds half of the North frieze's length, while the other half is displayed at the Acropolis museum. Measuring a total of 58.70 meters long, the scenes start at the northwest corner of the opisthonaos as a continuation from the west side procession, flowing from block N XLVII to block N I. The action unfolds gradually, escalating from quiet preparation to a galloping pace. Ignoring block divisions, horsemen are depicted in groups of seven or eight, with horses partially overlapping each other. The continuous flow is interrupted only by the marshal on block XXXIV. Despite variety in garment, stance, and gesture among the most beautiful horsemen, along with occasional depictions of a man turning his head to look back, monotony is avoided. The Parthenon frieze forms a continuous band with low relief scenes encircling the upper part of the cella within the outer colonnade. This theme represents the procession towards the Acropolis during the Great Panathenaia, commemorating the goddess Athena's birthday.