Parthenon Frieze _ South XXI, 53-54-55

myminifactory

The frieze survives as a testament to two horsemen and part of a third on the right. The best-preserved horseman wears a broad-brimmed all-weather hat that shields his face from the sun. Reins were attached separately to drill-holes, pulled back as the cavalcade comes to a halt. A fragment of a horse's head and a fragment of the rider's head are housed in the Acropolis Museum, Athens. The south side of the frieze is fragmented and the sculptured surface was severely damaged in the catastrophic explosion of 1687 that ravaged the Parthenon. This is why the sequence from block XX on is uncertain. Despite this, the Carrey drawings provide valuable insight into many of the missing sections and have enabled us to locate several existing fragments. The original length of the frieze along the south side was 58.70 meters. It was composed of forty-seven blocks, some exhibited in the Acropolis Museum, others in the British Museum. Each block averages 1.22 meters in width. While the workmanship is less skilled than that of the north frieze, some scenes are considered masterpieces of the Parthenon (blocks III, X, XI, XXVI, XXXI and XLIV). The procession begins at the west corner and proceeds towards the right. Unlike the north frieze, there is a lack of variation in pose, garment, and movement among figures and animals. The riders move in a straight line, looking straight ahead, with one exception on block V, rider (13). The rendition of the horses' trimmed manes reflects their speed of movement. As in the north frieze, the sections evident in the south include: 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 Athenian state's political organization. The variation seen in 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. In the third group, the horsemen (14-19) wear a short cuirass over a short chiton and boots. The fourth group (20-25) is clad in short chiton and chlamys. The fifth group (26-31) wears 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 a helmet of Athenian type, short chiton, chlamys, and boots. The eighth group (44-49) wears chlamys over short chiton and boots. The riders of the ninth group (50-55) are clad in petasos, short chiton, chlamys, and boots. Lastly, the tenth group comprises horsemen (56-61) wearing short chiton and boots. The procession of chariots follows, very fragmentary due to the 1687 explosion and preserved only in interrupted stretches. Five blocks are missing altogether. Ten chariots are in the course, each occupying a single block. Some stand still (XXVI), some start (XXIX), and others race full speed ahead (XXXI). The next section depicts the procession of the sacrifice, with thallophoroi carrying olive branches, musicians playing citharas (kitharai), skaphephoroi holding offering trays, and animals accompanied by their herdsmen. The frieze 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 goddess Athena.