Parthenon Frieze _ North XIII, 48

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The British Museum holds half of the North frieze's grandeur, while the other half resides majestically within the Acropolis museum. The total length of this magnificent north frieze stretches 58.70 meters from end to end. The action unfolds at the northwest corner of the opisthonaos as a continuation of the procession already underway on the west side. Thus, it runs seamlessly from block N XLVII all the way to block N I without interruption. As the scenes develop gradually, they accelerate from quiet preparation to a gallop, capturing the excitement and energy of the moment. Ignoring the divisions of the blocks, the horsemen are depicted proceeding in groups of seven or eight, their horses partly overlapping each other in a beautiful display of movement and harmony. The continuous flow of horses and riders is momentarily interrupted only by the marshal on block XXXIV, who stands out as a commanding figure amidst the throng. Yet even with the variety of garments, stances, and gestures, along with the occasional depiction of a man turning his head to look back, monotony is skillfully avoided throughout the frieze. The Parthenon's frieze forms a continuous band of low-relief scenes that encircles the upper part of the cella, the main temple within the outer colonnade. This magnificent work of art depicts the procession towards the Acropolis that took place during the Great Panathenaia, a commemoration of the birthday of the goddess Athena.