The Parthenon – XIV East Frieze
Between the pairs Hera-Zesus (left) and Athena-Hephaistos (right), a group of five figures is involved in a ritual which has to do with the piece of cloth held up by a man and a child. This is thought to be the peplos of Athena, dedicated on the occasion of the Panathenaic festival. The man wears the long unbelted tunic of a priest and is usually identified with the chief magistrate and overseer of Athenian state religion, Archon Basileus. The child is probably a boy and may be identified as a temple-server. The woman with her back to the priest is likely to be the priestess of Athena Polias, goddess of the city. She is about to receive the cushioned stool carried by the girl approaching her. Another girl approaches behind the first, carrying both a stool and, on her left arm, a footstool. This last is much damaged but the unmistakable paw-shaped foot of one leg is preserved. Both the girls carry the stools raised over their head.
The man wearing the long unbelted tunic of a priest holds up the cloth, the peplos, in his two hands with the part of it flapped over, rotating it down until the thick fold is in line with the selvages below. The child is smoothing out the wrinkles and helping to bring the corners together. Normally the folding up of an article of clothing would indicate that it is going to be put away for storage, and this would indicate that the ceremony, whatever it was, is completed. In Greek ritual the actual moment of the religious act, whether it be sacrifice, augury, or gift-giving, is potentially unlucky because the rites could go away. So, for example, Greek art depicts either the time before the animal sacrifice (the procession) or its successful outcome (usually the meat cooking on the altar) but never the kill itself. In similar fashion the frieze shows the procession and the denouement but not the Greek equivalent of the consecration of the host. By choosing the moment “after” the presentation of peplos, the well-being of the Polis is assumed, just as the meat burning on the altar demonstrates the successful outcome of a sacrifice.
A still unresolved question is the disposition of stools. Are they for the priest and priestess, for the peplos, and if so, why two? Given the compact nature of the scene, which distances itself from the rest, logic would suggest that the two stools were intended fro two important adults, the priestess and the priest. The presence of one footstool should suggest a gender distinction of the stools. It is certainly for the priestess, since women are regularly depicted with footstools on Attic grave stelae, whereas men usually have them only when enthroned. According to ancient texts, two girls interacted with the priestess of Athena: they were indicated as the “arrephoroi”. They were then-years-hold girls who served the goddess for one year, during which time they lived on the Acropolis, presumably under the guidance of the priestess
This block, central part of the East frieze was placed over the approach to the East doorway of the temple that gave access to the statue of the goddess.
The Block was removed during the Christian re-use of the Parthenon as a church. It was not destroyed, however, and survived on the Acropolis built into a wall, where it was found and rescued by Lord Elgin’s men.
British Museum Number: 1816,0610.19
Source: British Museum web site
Source: Neils J., “The Parthenon Frieze”
Greek marble relief
About 438 – 432 BC
Parthenon’s East frieze
London, The British Museum
The Parthenon – XIV East Frieze
Between the pairs Hera-Zesus (left) and Athena-Hephaistos (right), a group of five figures is involved in a ritual which has to do with the piece of cloth held up by a man and a child. This is thought to be the peplos of Athena, dedicated on the occasion of the Panathenaic festival. The man wears the long unbelted tunic of a priest and is usually identified with the chief magistrate and overseer of Athenian state religion, Archon Basileus. The child is probably a boy and may be identified as a temple-server. The woman with her back to the priest is likely to be the priestess of Athena Polias, goddess of the city. She is about to receive the cushioned stool carried by the girl approaching her. Another girl approaches behind the first, carrying both a stool and, on her left arm, a footstool. This last is much damaged but the unmistakable paw-shaped foot of one leg is preserved. Both the girls carry the stools raised over their head.
The man wearing the long unbelted tunic of a priest holds up the cloth, the peplos, in his two hands with the part of it flapped over, rotating it down until the thick fold is in line with the selvages below. The child is smoothing out the wrinkles and helping to bring the corners together. Normally the folding up of an article of clothing would indicate that it is going to be put away for storage, and this would indicate that the ceremony, whatever it was, is completed. In Greek ritual the actual moment of the religious act, whether it be sacrifice, augury, or gift-giving, is potentially unlucky because the rites could go away. So, for example, Greek art depicts either the time before the animal sacrifice (the procession) or its successful outcome (usually the meat cooking on the altar) but never the kill itself. In similar fashion the frieze shows the procession and the denouement but not the Greek equivalent of the consecration of the host. By choosing the moment “after” the presentation of peplos, the well-being of the Polis is assumed, just as the meat burning on the altar demonstrates the successful outcome of a sacrifice.
A still unresolved question is the disposition of stools. Are they for the priest and priestess, for the peplos, and if so, why two? Given the compact nature of the scene, which distances itself from the rest, logic would suggest that the two stools were intended fro two important adults, the priestess and the priest. The presence of one footstool should suggest a gender distinction of the stools. It is certainly for the priestess, since women are regularly depicted with footstools on Attic grave stelae, whereas men usually have them only when enthroned. According to ancient texts, two girls interacted with the priestess of Athena: they were indicated as the “arrephoroi”. They were then-years-hold girls who served the goddess for one year, during which time they lived on the Acropolis, presumably under the guidance of the priestess
This block, central part of the East frieze was placed over the approach to the East doorway of the temple that gave access to the statue of the goddess.
The Block was removed during the Christian re-use of the Parthenon as a church. It was not destroyed, however, and survived on the Acropolis built into a wall, where it was found and rescued by Lord Elgin’s men.
British Museum Number: 1816,0610.19
Source: British Museum web site
Source: Neils J., “The Parthenon Frieze”
Greek marble relief
About 438 – 432 BC
Parthenon’s East frieze
London, The British Museum