Parthenon Frieze _ North XXXVII, 100-101-102

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This block showcases three riders in various stages of dress and attire. At the forefront is a bare-headed rider draped in a chlamys over a short tunic and sans boots. To his right stands another rider clad only in a tunic, belted at the waist with long sleeves. A third figure remains largely obscured by the junction with an adjacent block (Block XXXVIII). The cavalcade on the North frieze is composed of overlapping phalanxes, unevenly divided, featuring riders with diverse attire and styles. Some are heavily draped in mantles and tunics, while others appear nearly naked. Some ride bareheaded, while others wear distinctive caps. Metal reins, once inserted into drill-holes, have since been lost. The head of the horse and rider's arm were added to the top right corner in 1850 by George Scharf from the Smith Barry Collection at Marbury hall in Cheshire. Half of the North frieze resides in the British Museum, while the other half is housed in the Acropolis museum. The total length of the north frieze measures 58.70 meters. Scenes begin at the northwest corner of the opisthonaos as a continuation of the procession that has already commenced on the west side, extending from block N XLVII to block N I. Action unfolds gradually, progressing from quiet preparation to a gallop. Ignoring block divisions, horsemen are depicted in groups of seven or eight, with horses partly overlapping each other. The continuous flow of horses and riders is interrupted only by the marshal (90) on block XXXIV. Despite uniformity in garment, stance, and gesture among the most beautiful horsemen, and occasional depictions of men turning their heads to look back, monotony is avoided through variety. The frieze encircles the upper part of the cella within the outer colonnade, featuring scenes in low relief. The theme represented is the procession toward the Acropolis during the Great Panathenaia, commemorating the birthday of goddess Athena. Numbering taken from I. Jenkins, The Parthenon Frieze, 1994. Frieze slabs are marked in Roman numerals, while people are marked in Arabic numerals.