Slab from the Amazon frieze 12

myminifactory

The most well-preserved of the three friezes from the Mausoleum depicts the daring expedition by Herakles and Theseus to Themiskyra, followed closely by an intense battle with the fearless Amazons. This subject was a staple in Greek art, but it held special significance for Maussollos. It is said that according to Karian tradition, an axe once owned by Amazon queen Hippolyte was housed at Labraunda, a sacred ancestral sanctuary of the Hekatomnid dynasty. Hippolyte's fierce combat with Herakles can be seen on one frieze slab, and this pivotal scene may have taken center stage on the monument, possibly at its east side.