PANATHENAIC PEPLOS IN TNE FRIEZE PARTHENON

Panathenaic procession east frieze of the Parthenon is problems of interpretation. This procession moves on the east frieze into the presence of an assembly of seated gods, the twelve Olympians. In the midst of the gods is a group of five human-sized figures engaged in the prosaic task of folding a piece of cloth. Because this scene holds the most prominent place on the frieze, the cloth is surely the peplos presented to Athena, albeit to her cult statue housed in another temple, the Erechtheion. While the priest, the archon Basileus, folds the robe with the help of a young assistant, possibly one of the arrephoroi, the priestess of Athena Polias is receiving two diphrophoroi, or stool-bearers.

Greater Panathenaia, Parthenon, Panathenaic frieze, Panathenaic peplos, Phidias, Athena Poliac, Athena Parthenos, arrephoroi, ergastinai, diphrophoroi