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Figures of three goddesses from the east pediment of the Parthenon,
c. 438-432 B.C.E., 233 cm long, Acropolis, Athens.

The east pediment of the Parthenon showed the birth of goddess Athena from the head of her father Zeus. The sculptures that represented the actual scene are lost. Zeus was probably shown seated, while Athena was striding away from him fully grown and armed.
Only some of the figures ranged on either side of the lost central group survive. They include these three goddesses, who were seated to the right of centre. From left to right, their posture varies in order to accommodate the slope of the pediment that originally framed them. They are remarkable for their naturalistic rendering of anatomy blended with a harmonious representation of complex draperies.
The figure on the left is on the point of rising and tucks her right foot in to lever herself up. To the right another figure cradles a companion reclining luxuriously in her lap. They are perhaps, from left to right, Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home, Dione, and her daughter Aphrodite. However, another suggestion is that the two figures on the right are the personification of the Sea (Thalassa) in the lap of the Earth (Gaia).

The Erechtheion (or Erechtheum) is an ancient Greek temple constructed on the acropolis of Athens between 421 and 406 BCE

A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese. Karyai had a famous temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis in her aspect of Artemis Karyatis: "As Karyatis she rejoiced in the dances of the nut-tree village of Karyai, those Karyatides, who in their ecstatic round-dance carried on their heads baskets of live reeds, as if they were dancing plants".

Some of the earliest known examples were found in the treasuries of Delphi, dating to about the 6th century BC, but their use as supports in the form of women can be traced back even earlier, to ritual basins, ivory mirror handles from Phoenicia, and draped figures from archaic Greece.

The best-known and most-copied examples are those of the six figures of the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens. One of those original six figures, removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, is now in the British Museum in London. The Acropolis Museum holds the other five figures

Although of the same height and build, and similarly attired and coiffed, the six Caryatids are not the same: their faces, stance, draping, and hair are carved separately; the three on the left stand on their right foot, while the three on the right stand on their left foot. Their bulky, intricately arranged hairstyles serve the crucial purpose of providing static support to their necks, which would otherwise be the thinnest and structurally weakest part.

The Romans also copied the Erechtheion caryatids, installing copies in the Forum of Augustus and the Pantheon in Rome, and at Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli. Another Roman example, found on the Via Appia, is the Townley Caryatid.

Nike was the winged goddess of victory (Roman Victoria) - victory both in war and in peaceful competition. When Zeus was gathering allies at the start of the Titan War, Styx brought her four children Nike (Victory), Zelos (Rivalry), Kratos (Cratus Strength) and Bia (Force) into the god's service. Nike was appointed his charioteer and together the four became sentinels of Zeus' throne.

Nike was depicted in ancient Greek vase painting with a variety of attributes including a wreath or sash to crown a victor, an oinochoe and phiale (bowl and cup) for libations, a thymiaterion (incense burner), an altar, and a lyre for the celebration of victory in song.
In scenes of the War of the Giants she appears as the charioteer of Zeus. In mosaic art and coins Nike is often shown holding a palm branch as a symbol of victory.

Nike was closely identified with the goddess Athena and at times was little more than an attribute of the goddess. Nike was sometimes multiplied into a host of Nikai (Nicae, Victories).

Hellenistic sculpture of Nike: The Winged Victory of Samothrace (c. 200–190 BC, Parian marble. Dimensions 244 cm (96 in))

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a marble Hellenistic sculpture of Nike (the Greek goddess of victory), that was created about the 2nd century BC. Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world. H.W. Janson described it as "the greatest masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture", and it is one of a small number of major Hellenistic statues surviving in the original, rather than Roman copies.

Pericles was born c. 495 BC, in Athens, Greece. He was the son of the politician Xanthippus, who, though ostracized in 485–484 BC, returned to Athens to command the Athenian contingent in the Greek victory at Mycale just five years later. Pericles' mother, Agariste, a member of the powerful and controversial noble family of the Alcmaeonidae, and her familial connections played a crucial role in helping start Xanthippus' political career. Agariste was the great-granddaughter of the tyrant of Sicyon, Cleisthenes, and the niece of the Athenian reformer Cleisthenes.

Pericles was a prominent and influential Greek statesman, orator and general of Athens during the Golden Age—specifically the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. He was descended, through his mother, from the powerful and historically influential Alcmaeonid family. According to Herodotus and Plutarch, Agariste dreamed, a few nights before Pericles' birth, that she had borne a lion. Pericles belonged to the tribe of Acamantis (??aµa?t?? f???). His early years were quiet; the introverted young Pericles avoided public appearances, instead preferring to devote his time to his studies.

Pericles had such a profound influence on Athenian society that Thucydides, a contemporary historian, acclaimed him as "the first citizen of Athens". Pericles turned the Delian League into an Athenian empire, and led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. The period during which he led Athens, roughly from 461 to 429 BC, is sometimes known as the "Age of Pericles", though the period thus denoted can include times as early as the Persian Wars, or as late as the next century. Pericles promoted the arts and literature; it is principally through his efforts that Athens holds the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. He started an ambitious project that generated most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon). This project beautified and protected the city, exhibited its glory, and gave work to the people. Pericles also fostered Athenian democracy to such an extent that critics call him a populist.

Hermes - Greek God of Herds & Trade, Herald of the Gods (Roman Mercury) Messenger of the gods, god of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, border crossings, guide to the Underworld


Hermes was the Olympian god of herds and flocks, travellers and hospitality, roads and trade, thievery and cunning, heralds and diplomacy, language and writing, athletic contests and gymnasiums, astronomy and astrology. He was the herald and personal messenger of Zeus, King of the Gods, and also the guide of the dead who led souls down into the underworld.

Hermes was depicted as either a handsome and athletic, beardless youth or as an older, bearded man, with winged boots and a herald's wand.

Hera was the Olympian queen of the gods, and the goddess of marriage (Roman Juno), the sky and the stars of heaven. She was usually depicted as a beautiful woman wearing a crown and holding a royal, lotus-tipped sceptre, and sometimes accompanied by a lion, cuckoo or hawk.

MYTHS

Some of the more famous myths featuring the goddess include:--

Her marriage to Zeus who seduced her in the guise of a cuckoo bird.
The birth of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) who she produced alone without a father and cast from heaven because he was born crippled.

Her persecution of the consorts of Zeus including Leto, Semele and Alkmene (Alcmena).

Her persecution of Herakles (Heracles) and Dionysos, the favourite bastard sons of Zeus.

The punishment of Ixion, who was chained to a fiery wheel for attempting to violate the goddess.

The assisting of the Argonauts in their quest for the golden fleece, their leader Iason (Jason) being one of her favourites.

The judgement of Paris, in which she competed against Aphrodite and Athene for the prize of the golden apple.

The Trojan War in which she assisted the Greeks.

Horsemen from the west frieze of the Parthenon, c. 438-432 B.C.E., 100cm tall, Acropolis, Athens

This block was placed near the corner of the west frieze of the Parthenon, where it turned onto the north. The horsemen have been moving at some speed, but are now reining back so as not to appear to ride off the edge of the frieze. The horseman in front twists around to look back at his companion, and raises a hand (now missing) to his head. This gesture, repeated elsewhere in the frieze, is perhaps a signal. Although mounted riders can be seen here, much of the west frieze features horsemen getting ready for the cavalcade proper, shown on the long north and south sides of the temple.

The Parthenon frieze is the high-relief pentelic marble sculpture created to adorn the upper part of the Parthenon’s naos. It was sculpted between c. 443 and 438 BC, most likely under the direction of Pheidias. Of the 524 feet (160 m) of the original frieze, 420 feet (130 m) survives—some 80 percent. The rest is known only from the drawings attributed to French artist Jacques Carrey in 1674, thirteen years before the Venetian bombardment that ruined the temple.

At present, the majority of the frieze is at the British Museum in London (forming the major part of the Elgin Marbles); the largest proportion of the rest is in Athens, and the remainder of fragments shared between six other institutions. Casts of the frieze may be found in the Beazley archive at the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, at the Spurlock Museum in Urbana, in the Skulpturhalle at Basel and elsewhere.

Dionysus (Dionysos) was the Olympian god of wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, madness, wild frenzy, grape harvest, winemaking, religious ecstasy, and theatre. (Roman Name?: ?Liber. Other Names?: ?Bacchus, Lyaeus)

He was depicted as either an long-haired youth OR older, bearded god or an effeminate. His attributes included the thyrsos (a pine-cone tipped staff), a drinking cup and a crown of ivy. He was usually accompanied by a troop of Satyrs and Mainades (wild female devotees).

A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese. Karyai had a famous temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis in her aspect of Artemis Karyatis: "As Karyatis she rejoiced in the dances of the nut-tree village of Karyai, those Karyatides, who in their ecstatic round-dance carried on their heads baskets of live reeds, as if they were dancing plants".

Some of the earliest known examples were found in the treasuries of Delphi, dating to about the 6th century BC, but their use as supports in the form of women can be traced back even earlier, to ritual basins, ivory mirror handles from Phoenicia, and draped figures from archaic Greece.

The best-known and most-copied examples are those of the six figures of the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens. One of those original six figures, removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, is now in the British Museum in London. The Acropolis Museum holds the other five figures

Although of the same height and build, and similarly attired and coiffed, the six Caryatids are not the same: their faces, stance, draping, and hair are carved separately; the three on the left stand on their right foot, while the three on the right stand on their left foot. Their bulky, intricately arranged hairstyles serve the crucial purpose of providing static support to their necks, which would otherwise be the thinnest and structurally weakest part.

The Romans also copied the Erechtheion caryatids, installing copies in the Forum of Augustus and the Pantheon in Rome, and at Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli. Another Roman example, found on the Via Appia, is the Townley Caryatid.

ARES was the Olympian god of war, battlelust, courage and civil order (Roman Mars). In ancient Greek art he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior armed for battle, or a nude, beardless youth with a helm and spear.

MYTHS

Ares had an adulterous affair with the goddess Aphrodite but her husband Hephaistos trapped the pair in a golden net and humiliated them by calling the rest of the gods to witness.

When Aphrodite fell in love with the handsome youth Adonis, the god grew jealous, transformed himself into a boar, and gorged the boy to death as he was out hunting.

Ares transformed his daughter Harmonia and her husband Kadmos (Cadmus) of Thebes into serpents and had them carried away to the Islands of the Blessed.

The god slew Hallirhothios to avenge the rape of his daughter Alkippe. He was tried at the court of the Areiopagos in Athens but acquitted of murder.

Ares apprehended the criminal Sisyphos, an impious man who had dared to kidnap the god of death Thanatos.

During the battle between Herakles and Ares' villianous Kyknos (Cycnus), the god intervened but was wounded by the hero and forced to flee back to Olympos.

Ares actively supported his Amazon-queen daughters in their many wars and battles. The most celebrated of these was Penthesileia who joined the Trojan War.

When the Aloadai giants laid siege to Olympos, Ares battled them but was defeated and imprisoned in a bronze jar. He was later rescued by the god Hermes.

During the course of the Trojan War, Ares, who had sided with the Trojans, was wounded by the Greek hero Diomedes who drove a spear into his side, sending him flying back to Olympos bellowing in pain.

Apollon (Apollo) was the Olympian god of prophecy and oracles, music, song and poetry, archery, healing, plague and disease, and the protection of the young. He was depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair and attributes such as a wreath and branch of laurel, bow and quiver of arrows, raven, and lyre.

MYTHS

The most famous myths of Apollon include:--

His birth on the island of Delos.

The slaying of the serpent Python which guarded the oracular shrine of Delphoi (Delphi).

The slaying of the giant Tityos who attempted to carry off the god's mother Leto.

The destruction of the Niobides whose mother had offended Leto with her boasts.

His music contest with the satyr Marsyas who lost and was flayed alive.

His love for the youth Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus) who was killed by a discus throw and transformed into a flower.

His love for the nymph Daphne who fled from him and was transformed into a laurel tree.

His love for Koronis (Coronis) who was slain by Artemis for her infidelity.
The murder of the Kyklopes (Cyclopes) who had forged the lightning bolt used to destroy his son Asklepios (Asclepius).

His service as bondsman to the mortal Admetos.

His struggle with Herakles (Heracles) for the Delphic tripod.

The Trojan War in which he brought plague to the Greeks and helped Paris slay Akhilleus (Achilles).

Apollon (Apollo) was the Olympian god of prophecy and oracles, music, song and poetry, archery, healing, plague and disease, and the protection of the young. He was depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair and attributes such as a wreath and branch of laurel, bow and quiver of arrows, raven, and lyre.

Apollo, Greek statue (marble) from the temple of Zeus in Olympia, 5th century BC, (Archaeological Museum of Olympia)

Acropolis, Athens, Greece, around 440 BC.

A fight between a human Lapith and a Centaur

The sculpted decoration of the Parthenon included ninety-two metopes showing scenes of mythical battle. Those on the south flank of the temple included a series featuring human Lapiths in mortal combat with Centaurs. The Centaurs were part-man and part-horse, thus having a civil and a savage side to their nature. The Lapiths, a neighbouring Greek tribe, made the mistake of giving the Centaurs wine at the marriage feast of their king, Peirithoos. The Centaurs attempted to rape the women, with their leader Eurytion trying to carry off the bride. A general battle ensued, with the Lapiths finally victorious.

Here a young Lapith holds a Centaur from behind with one hand, while preparing to deliver a blow with the other. The composition is perfectly balanced, with the protagonists pulling in opposite directions, around a central space filled by the cascading folds of the Lapith's cloak.

In Greek mythology, Centaurus is the father of the race of mythological beasts known as the centaurs or Ixionidae. The centaurs are half-man, half horse; having the torso of a man extending where the neck of a horse should be. They were said to be wild, savage, and lustful.

The Lapiths are a legendary people of Greek mythology, whose home was in Thessaly, in the valley of the Peneus and on the mountain Pelion. They were an Aeolian tribe. Like the Myrmidons and other Thessalian tribes, the Lapiths were natives of Thessaly.

Aphrodite was the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. She was depicted as a beautiful woman often accompanied by the winged godling Eros (Love). Her attributes included a dove, apple, scallop shell and mirror. In classical sculpture and fresco she was usually depicted nude.

Some of the more famous myths featuring the goddess include:

Her birth from the sea foam.

Her adulterous affair with the god Ares.

Her love for Adonis, a handsome Cypriot youth who was tragically killed by a boar.

Her love for Ankhises (Anchises), a shepherd-prince.

The judgement of Paris in which the goddess was awarded the prize of the golden apple in return for promising Paris Helene in marriage.

The Trojan War in which she supported her favourites Paris and Aeneas and was wounded in the fighting.

The race of Hippomenes for Atalanta, which was won with the help of the goddess and her golden apples.

The death of Hippolytos, who was destroyed by the goddess for scorning her worship.

The statue of Pygmalion which was brought to life by Aphrodite in answer to his prayers.

The persecution of Psykhe (Psyche), the maiden loved by the goddess' son Eros.

Alexander of Macedon (356 BC – 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great was a king (basileus) of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and a member of the Argead dynasty. He was born in Pella in 356 BC and succeeded his father Philip II to the throne at the age of twenty. He spent most of his ruling years on an unprecedented military campaign through Asia and northeast Africa, and he created one of the largest empires of the ancient world by the age of thirty, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered one of history's most successful military commanders.

..while preparing to deliver a blow with the other.

Metopes: from the South Side: Battles of Lapiths and Centaurs. South Metope 27, Parthenon. c. 447-438 B.C.E., 172 cm tall, Acropolis, Athens.

The sculpted decoration of the Parthenon included ninety-two metopes showing scenes of mythical battle. Those on the south flank of the temple included a series featuring human Lapiths in mortal combat with Centaurs. The Centaurs were part-man and part-horse, thus having a civil and a savage side to their nature. The Lapiths, a neighboring Greek tribe, made the mistake of giving the Centaurs wine at the marriage feast of their king, Peirithoos. The Centaurs attempted to rape the women, with their leader Eurytion trying to carry off the bride. A general battle ensued, with the Lapiths finally victorious.

Here a young Lapith holds a Centaur from behind with one hand, while preparing to deliver a blow with the other. The composition is perfectly balanced, with the protagonists pulling in opposite directions, around a central space filled by the cascading folds of the Lapith's cloak.