Parthenon South Metope V

myminifactory

The Lapith's majestic form is rendered in high relief, so lifelike that it appears to have broken free from its confines and vanished into thin air. A drawing by Jacques Carrey (1674) captures the missing Lapith's desperate attempt to escape the centaur's grasp, using his right arm to fend off the monster with all his might. The centaur's head is now in Wurzburg. The Metopes of the Parthenon are a series of 92 marble panels, originally situated on the outside walls of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, forming part of the Doric frieze. Each side of the building features 14 metopes on the eastern and western walls, 32 each on the northern and southern walls, showcasing distinct subjects that, combined with the pediments, Ionic frieze, and statue of Athena Parthenos within the Parthenon, create an elaborate program of sculptural decoration. Fifteen of the metopes from the south wall were removed and are now part of the Parthenon Marbles in the British Museum, while others have been destroyed, showcasing exemplary Classical Greek high-relief. The metopes on the southern wall (Plaques No. 1–12 and 21–32) depict the Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs, also known as the Centauromachy, where mythological Athenian king Theseus takes part. The battle between the Centaurs and Lapiths erupts during the wedding feast of Pirithous, the king of the Lapiths and personal friend of Theseus, where drunken Centaurs react violently under the influence of wine, sparking a fight with the Lapiths to abduct their women. The Centaurs are shown with animal features on their faces, resembling theatrical masks in their linear drawings. They wear animal skins and wield tree-branches as arms. In contrast, the Lapiths fight nude or clad in chlamys, some holding swords or spears that were formerly metallic attachments now lost, while others use shields for protection. There is a tendency to identify Pirithous on metope 11 and Deidamia on metope 25, but conclusive evidence is lacking. On metope 29, the mature Classical style can be seen in the face and dress of the Lapith woman. The presence of household utensils like hydrias (ceramic pots with three handles used for storing water) indicates a battle fought indoors. Certain compositions are repeated, whereas the overall execution of the scenes is less ambitious than initially planned. Contrary to the outcome of the battle, which emphasizes the superiority of the civilized world over primeval disorder, the Centaurs emerge victorious in this fearless fight. In 1687, a cannonball struck the Parthenon during an attack by the Venetians on Athens, destroying many metopes on the south wall, particularly the central ones. The existence of these metopes is now known only from Carrey's drawings executed in 1674 and their remaining fragments. Their subject matter remains unclear due to uncommon iconographical details. Some experts recognize Attic dynastic myths (the stories of Cecrops' and Erechtheus' royal families) while others propose a subject related to the Centauromachy heroes.