Parthenon Frieze _ South I, 4

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The southern branch of the procession follows a similar pattern to its northern counterpart. While sixty horsemen carved over nineteen blocks define the North frieze, the South frieze boasts the same number carved over twenty-four blocks. Ten groups of six riders in the South cavalcade, distinguished by dress, likely represent the division of the Athenian cavalry into ten tribal units. The horsemen of the south frieze are less well preserved than their northern counterparts and exhibit a less varied composition. The Parthenon's explosion in 1687 severely damaged the South frieze. This block showcases a rider wearing a chlamys, tunic, knee-length boots, and an animal skin cap with ear- and neck-flaps (alopekis). A fragment preserving figure four was presented to the British Museum by C.R. Cockerell in 1830. The horsemen of the south frieze are sixty, carved over twenty-four blocks. Their composition is less varied than that of the north frieze. They divide into ten equal ranks of six, each rank distinguished by a particular dress, reflecting the ten-fold tribal division of the Athenian cavalry. The south side of the frieze is preserved fragmentarily and suffered significant damage in the 1687 Parthenon explosion. This is why the sequence from block XX on is uncertain. Despite this, Carrey drawings provide valuable insights into missing sections, enabling us to locate existing fragments. The original length of the frieze along the south side was 58.70 meters, composed of forty-seven blocks, with some exhibited in the Acropolis Museum and others in the British Museum. The average width of each block is 1.22 meters. While the workmanship is less skillful than that of the north frieze, some scenes may be considered masterpieces (blocks III, X, XI, XXVI, XXXI, and XLIV). The procession begins at the west corner and proceeds toward the right. The riders move in a straight line, looking straight ahead, with a single exception on block V, rider 13. The varied rendition of the horses' trimmed manes reflects their speed of movement. As in the north frieze, the sections evident in the south are: a) horsemen, b) chariots, and c) sacrificial procession. It is likely that the arrangement of the horsemen in the procession was according to tribe, following the political organisation of the Athenian state. The variation seen in the garments supports this interpretation, with ten groups of six riders each. The horsemen of the first group (2-7) wear a fox-hide cap, short chiton, chlamys, and boots. The second group (8-13) wears only chlamys, while the third group (14-19) dons a short cuirass over a short chiton and boots. The fourth group (20-25) is clad in short chiton and chlamys, the fifth (26-31) in anatomical cuirass over short chiton and boots. The sixth group (32-37) wears a fox-skin cap, short chiton over which is a cuirass with flaps, and boots. Those of the seventh group (38-43) wear an Athenian-type helmet, short chiton, chlamys, and boots, while the eighth group (44-49) dons chlamys over short chiton and boots. The ninth group (50-55) is clad in petasos, short chiton, chlamys, and boots, and the tenth group comprises horsemen (56-61) wearing short chiton and boots. The procession of chariots follows, very fragmentary due to the 1687 explosion, preserved only in interrupted stretches. Five blocks are missing altogether, with ten chariots taking part, each on a single block. Some stand still, some start, and some race full speed ahead. Depicted on the following blocks is the procession of sacrifice, involving thallophoroi with olive branches, musicians with citharas (kitharai), skaphephoroi with offering trays, and animals with their herdsmen. The frieze of the Parthenon forms a continuous band with scenes in low relief that encircles the upper part of the cella within the outer colonnade. The theme represented is the procession toward the Acropolis during the Great Panathenaia, commemorating the birthday of the goddess Athena. Numbering taken from I. Jenkins' "The Parthenon Frieze" (1994), with frieze slabs marked in Roman numerals and people in Arabic numerals.