Parthenon frieze _ West VIII,15

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The west frieze has been preserved at the Acropolis Museum since 1993, with blocks I and II housed in the British Museum. This magnificent frieze is composed of sixteen blocks averaging 1.40 m in length, except for blocks I and XVI, which measure only 0.60 m due to their narrow design as part of the west blocks on the north and south sides. The frieze showcases the preparation for the Panathenaic procession of horsemen in Kerameikos. Each block features one to three figures at most, along with up to two horses, while individuals standing still serve as central axes throughout the composition. Quiet scenes are interwoven with action-packed ones to create a visually striking display. The clothing of the horsemen also boasts great variety, which has led some to interpret it as a means of distinguishing between Attica's 10 or 4 tribes. Some riders appear nude, while others wear a short belted chiton, exomis, chlamys and petasos, cuirass and helmet, or even garb from other regions like Macedonia or Thrace, featuring coarse cloth chitons and chlamsys, boots, and fox-skin caps. Metalwork, including bronze-attached weapons and horse bridles, adds to the frieze's overall grandeur.