Parthenon Frieze
On the frieze, Pheidias carved a long procession of Athenians, with girls in the front, bringing a new dress for the goddess Athena to her temple.
A scene from the Parthenon frieze
Most of the carving was done in a beautiful new style, where all the figures moved very gracefully, and the clothes were floating and very thin, almost transparent, so that you could see all the muscles and tendons of the women wearing them.
Another part of the Parthenon frieze
Another part of the Parthenon frieze showed the young men of Athens riding their horses. The horses are excited to be in a parade, and the young men are trying to keep them under control. This gave Phidias a chance to show off how well he could show the movements of the horses and the men.
More on the Parthenon
Take our quiz - how much do you know about the Parthenon?
To find out more about the Parthenon, check out these books on Amazon.com or in your library:
A Greek Temple, by Fiona MacDonald, Mark Bergin (2002) (this is specifically about the Parthenon, not just any Greek temple)
Parthenon, by Lynn Curlee (2004). For kids. Lovely pictures.
The Athenian Acropolis: History, Mythology, and Archaeology from the Neolithic Era to the Present, by Jeffrey M. Hurwit (2000). This is not a children's book, but it is pretty interesting reading. Hurwit is a archaeologist and art historian who works on the Athenian Acropolis.
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