Chariot group from the south frieze of the Parthenon
Greek, carved about 438-432 BC
From Athens, Greece
The Parthenon frieze shows racing chariots ahead of the
cavalcade of mounted horsemen. The Panathenaic Games at Athens
featured races in which chariots were driven at high speed. At the
end of the race, a soldier would leap out of the vehicle and
finish the contest on foot. Here a partially preserved charioteer
is seen on the extreme left of the block, while a foot soldier
rides beside him, helmeted and holding a large round shield on his
left arm. The carriage of the chariot and the hub of a wheel are
just visible below.
The scene, carved into a shallow depth of relief, is vividly
expressed with no less than four horses abreast. Their fiery manes
are echoed in the flying crest and cloak of the soldier.
B.F. Cook, The Elgin Marbles, 2nd edition (London, The British Museum Press, 1997)