Parthenon South Metope VIII

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Marble metopes from the Parthenon (South metope VIII) depict the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths at the wedding feast of Peirithoos in The British Museum. The Lapith on the left is kneeling on his right knee, while the Centaur presses him down with its body. A chlamys hangs from the Lapith's left arm, and the Centaur's right hind leg rests on a rock. Some parts of the frame are restored. The Parthenon's marble panels originally numbered 92 and were part of the Doric frieze outside Athens' iconic building in Greece. Each side had different subjects, along with the pediments, Ionic frieze, and statue of Athena Parthenos, forming a comprehensive program of sculptural decoration. Fifteen South wall metopes are now at the British Museum as part of the Parthenon Marbles. The southern wall's metopes (Plaques 1-12 and 21-32) display the Centauromachy, a mythological battle where Theseus joined forces with the Lapiths. The battle erupted during Pirithous' wedding feast when drunken Centaurs attacked the Lapiths, sparking a fight between the two groups. The Centaurs have faces with animal features resembling theatrical masks and wear animal skins. They wield tree-branches as weapons, while the Lapiths fight nude or in chlamys, armed with swords or spears that are now lost. Some Lapiths use shields for protection. A bridegroom and a bride may be identified on certain metopes, but there's no conclusive evidence to support these claims. On metope 29, mature Classical style features can be seen on the face and dress of a Lapith woman. Household items like hydrias indicate the battle took place indoors, and some compositions are repeated. The Centaurs ultimately win the fight, which contrasts with the myth's moral emphasizing civilized superiority over primeval disorder. In 1687, a cannonball struck the Parthenon during the Venetian attack on Athens, destroying many metopes on the south wall. Carrey's drawings from 1674 and remaining fragments provide evidence of these destroyed metopes, which feature uncommon iconographical details. Some experts link them to Attic dynastic myths, while others propose a connection to Centauromachy heroes.