Parthenon Frieze _ North VI, 16-19

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Half of the North frieze is housed at the British Museum and the other half resides at the Acropolis museum. Spanning a total length of 58.70 m, the scenes on the north frieze commence at the northwest corner of the opisthonaos as a continuation of the procession already underway on the west side, extending from block N XLVII to block N I. The action unfolds gradually, accelerating from quiet preparation to a gallop. Overlooking the divisions between blocks, horsemen are depicted riding in groups of seven or eight, with horses partly overlapping one another. The continuous flow of riders and horses is interrupted only by the marshal on block XXXIV. Despite monotony, variety is achieved through different garments, stances, and gestures among the most beautiful horsemen, as well as occasional depictions of individuals turning their heads to look back. The frieze encircles the upper part of the cella within the outer colonnade, forming a continuous band with scenes in low relief. The theme depicted is the procession toward the Acropolis during the Great Panathenaia, a commemoration of the goddess Athena's birthday. Numbering originates from I. Jenkins' 1994 publication "The Parthenon Frieze". Frieze slabs are identified by Roman numerals, while individuals are marked with Arabic numerals.