An Appreciation of the Pediments on the Parthenon

They could be carved at leisure because they were lifted up in to place, and the roofing of the temple did not depend on them being in position in the first place. Phidias seems to have left Athens after he finished making the great statue of Athena in 438 BC. It was at the same time that serious work began on the pediments, so although Phidias may have designed the pediments, their implementation must have been mostly done without him.

The triangular shape of both pediments ensured careful organisation of the scene. The most important figures appear in the middle where they can appear bigger because the height is about eleven feet. Moving outwards from the centre the figures become smaller or are shown sitting, reclining or just with the upper part of their body showing. There is a problem though with the scale

Although the West pediment was at the back of the temple, it was the first pediment which you would see as you approached the Parthenon. It depicted the struggle between Athena and Poseidon for the patronage of Attica. Athena and Poseidon arrived simultaneously on the Acropolis ready to claim patronage of the city. In the centre of the pediment they are shown striding away from each other, but turning to look back ( as in the bull metope at Olympia). During the contest, Poseidon offered a salt-spring and Athena offered an olive-tree. The figures are carved in the round, so that they are like free-standing statues attached to the floor of the pediment. Athena and Poseidon each have a weapon. Athena has a spear while Poseidon has a trident. Athena has just made an olive-tree miracously appear on the Acropolis which allowed her to win the patronage of Attica. The olive tree probably filled the centre of the pediment. At the appearance of it Athena and Poseidon seem to draw back in excitement. Their heads are turned towards the centre. Excitement ripples outward through the assembled audience of gods and heroes. The entire pediment is filled with lively figures. To the right and left of them are their rearing horses which are reigned by Nike and Amphitrite. On either side of the horses are attendant messenger deities – Hermes is on the side of Athena and Iris is on the side of Poseidon, they conducted the central groups to the contest. Many figures look like they are disturbed by shock-waves which radiate from the centre of the pediment. For example Iris who is winged and rushes forward once the contest has taken place. Patterns of light and shade are ahown over the surface of her figure. Gods and heroes are lined up on either side as far a

Some topics in this essay:
, Athena Poseidon, Cephisus Ilisuss, Aegina Olympia, Iris Poseidon, Zeus Athena, Metis Athena’s, Jacques Carrey, King Athens, BC Athena, centre pediment, river god, athena poseidon, west pediment, river god cephisus, patronage attica, god cephisus, eleven feet, gods heroes, pediments parthenon, east pediment,