The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: frieze
- Gallery: Room 21
- Maker: Pytheos
- Culture: Classical Greek
- Date: 350BC (circa)
- Object type: frieze
- Materials: marble
- Museum number: 1865,0723.1
- 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.
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About this object
Before you is "The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: frieze," a marble slab that once adorned the great tomb described by ancient writers. This piece depicts a scene from the Amazon frieze, where Greeks and Amazons clash in battle. You can see five figures: two Greek warriors and three fierce Amazons.
To the left, a half-collapsed horse marks the presence of an Amazon leaping forward with shield in hand, her boots and armor finely detailed. The Greek beneath kneels in defeat, his armor clearly carved with care. To the right, another gripping moment unfolds: one Amazon strikes from behind while a Greek hero seizes a fallen Amazon by the hair. The figures' clothing, weapons, and even hairstyles are rendered with striking realism.
Carved around 350 BC, this piece was designed by the architect Pytheos and originally part of the grand Mausoleum in Halicarnassus—an iconic monument of Classical Greece. This marble slab was likely transported to Italy, where it was later reworked, preserving its intricate details for future generations to admire.
See it in person
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: frieze is on display in Room 21 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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