East frieze of a ritual
- Audio guide stop: 258
- Gallery: Room 18
- Maker: Pheidias
- Culture: Classical Greek
- Made in: Athens
- Date: 438BC-432BC
- Object type: temple-relief
- Materials: marble
- Museum number: 1816,0610.19
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you stands a fragment of a grand marble relief from the East frieze of the Parthenon, sculpted during the years 438 to 432 BC. Designed by the famed Classical Greek sculptor Pheidias, this piece captures a moment from the Panathenaic festival, a celebration of the goddess Athena’s birthday.
Look closely: On the left, the goddess Iris appears to adjust her hair, while Hera, seated beside her, extends her veil in a gesture symbolic of a bride. Nearby, Zeus, king of the gods, looms over a throne, gripping a thunderbolt. To the right, the goddess Athena rests with Hephaestus, her lap showing the protective fringe of her aegis.
In the middle, a man and a child hold up a cloth—believed to be the peplos, a key offering in the festival. Around them stand figures preparing offerings, including a priest, a child helper, and a priestess. Together, they bring the frieze to life, capturing the sacred choreography of ancient Greek ritual.
See it in person
East frieze of a ritual is on display in Room 18 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 258, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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