Parthenon, South Metopes 28 & 30

Item

Title

Parthenon, South Metopes 28 & 30

Description

General Information on the Parthenon

Cast of South metope 28 (original in British Museum): A centauromachy scene from a metope at the east end of the south side of the Parthenon. A centaur figure stands triumphantly over a nude fallen Lapith male in high relief, almost in the round. The head, right arm, front legs, and back right hoof are missing from the centaur. The Lapith's face, right knee, and right hand are gone. The centaur holds a lion skin draped over his left arm and a large pot (pithos) above his head with his right hand. The centaur is rearing over the fallen Lapith with arms outstretched, caught in the moment just after he has smashed the pot onto his opponent, breaking his neck. The original metope was made in 447-433 BCE.

Cast of South metope 30 (original in British Museum): A centauromachy scene from a metope at the east end of the south side of the Parthenon. A nude Lapith male is resting on his left heel while trying to hold off the centaur with his right arm and grips a rock in his limp left arm. The centaur stands over him, his left hand holding the Lapith's hair to keep his head steady. His right arm, though broken off, is stretched back to strike the Lapith. The right front and back legs of the centaur are missing. The two figures are in high relief, almost independent of the background. The centaur's face is bearded and elderly. The Lapith's face is young and beardless. Both show minimal expression. The drapery falling off the Lapith is extremely stylized. The original was made in 447-433 BCE.

Bibliography

Plutarch, Pericles 12.5-13.

Robertson, Martin, and Alison Frantz. 1975. The Parthenon Frieze (New York).

Boardman, John. 1977. "The Parthenon Frieze— Another View" in U. Höckmann and A. Krug (eds), Festschrift Frank Brommer (Mainz) 39-49. Boardman,

John, and D. Finn, 1985. The Parthenon and its Sculptures (Austin).

Jenkins, Ian. 1994. The Parthenon Frieze (Austin). Neils, Jennifer. 2001. The Parthenon Frieze (Cambridge).

Younger, J.G. 1997. "Gender and Sexuality in the Parthenon Frieze," in C. Lyons and A. Koloski- Ostrow (eds), Naked Truths. Women, Sexuality, and Gender in Classical Art and Archaeology (London), 120-53.

Younger, John G. 2004. "Work Sections and Repeating Patterns in the Parthenon Frieze," in Michael Cosmopoulos (ed), Partheneia (Cambridge).

Iconography

Parthenon

Metope

Centaur

Findspot

Athens