Parthenon Frieze _ South XX, 51-52

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The southern side of the frieze is preserved in fragments and suffered significant damage due to the devastating explosion that struck the Parthenon in 1687. As a result, the sequence of blocks from XX onwards remains uncertain. However, the Carrey drawings provide valuable information on the missing sections, allowing us to locate numerous existing fragments. Originally, the frieze along the southern side measured 58.70 meters long and consisted of forty-seven blocks, some of which are now displayed in the Acropolis Museum while others reside in the British Museum. The average width of each block is approximately 1.22 meters. Overall, the workmanship on this section appears less skilled compared to the northern frieze, although certain scenes may be considered masterpieces (blocks III, X, XI, XXVI, XXXI, and XLIV). The procession begins at the western corner and proceeds towards the right. In contrast to the north frieze, which showcases a diverse array of poses, garments, and movements among figures and animals, the southern side presents a more uniform scene. The riders move in a straight line, gazing directly ahead with the exception of rider (13) on block V. The horses' manes are depicted in various styles to convey their speed of movement. Like the north frieze, the sections evident in the south can be categorized into three groups: a) horsemen, b) chariots, and c) sacrificial procession. It is likely that the arrangement of the horsemen followed the tribal organization of the Athenian state. This interpretation is supported by the variation in garments, which divides the riders into ten groups of six each. The first group (2-7) wears a fox-hide cap, short chiton, chlamys, and boots; the second group (8-13) only dons a chlamys; the third group (14-19) sports a short cuirass over a short chiton and boots; the fourth group (20-25) is clad in a short chiton and chlamys; the fifth group (26-31) wears an anatomical cuirass over a short chiton and boots; the sixth group (32-37) dons a fox-skin cap, short chiton, and a cuirass with flaps, along with boots; the seventh group (38-43) sports an Athenian-style helmet, short chiton, chlamys, and boots; the eighth group (44-49) wears a chlamys over a short chiton and boots; the ninth group (50-55) dons a petasos, short chiton, chlamys, and boots; and the tenth group comprises horsemen (56-61), who wear a short chiton and boots. The procession of chariots that follows is extremely fragmentary due to the 1687 explosion, with only interrupted stretches remaining. A total of five blocks are missing, and ten chariots are present in the course, each occupying a single block. Some chariots stand still (XXVI), while others are depicted as starting (XXIX) or racing full speed ahead (XXXI). The subsequent blocks depict the sacrificial procession, featuring thallophoroi with olive branches, musicians with citharas, skaphephoroi with offering trays, and animals accompanied by their herdsmen. The Parthenon frieze forms a continuous band of low-relief scenes that encircles the upper part of the cella within the outer colonnade. The theme represented is the procession towards the Acropolis during the Great Panathenaia, the commemoration of Athena's birthday. Block numbering follows I. Jenkins' "The Parthenon Frieze" (1994), with frieze slabs marked in Roman numerals and people denoted by Arabic numerals.