Parthenon frieze - Ancient Greece for Kids

Parthenon Frieze

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.

parthenon frieze
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.

parthenon frieze
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.

Why did people want to punch Socrates?

Click here to find out!

Where did Egyptians bury your liver?

Click here to find out

How old are the Rocky Mountains?

Click here to find out

What does a half-timbered house look like?

Click here to find out

How do you spin wool?
(a project)

Click here to find out


First page on the Parthenon
Classical architecture
Ancient Greece home page
Kidipede home page