Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs

Centaur abducts a Lapith woman, detail; "Elgin Marbles" is a popular term for the collection of sculpture from the Parthenon acquired by Lord Elgin in Athens between 1801-1805. The collection includes other works from the Acropolis as well. The Parthenon sculpture includes roughly half of what now survives: 247 feet of the original 524 feet of frieze; 15 of 92 metopes; 17 figures from the pediments, and various other pieces of architecture. The sculpted decoration of the Parthenon included ninety-two metopes (the sunken panel between two triglyphs in a Doric frieze) showing scenes of mythical battle. Those on the south flank of the temple included a series featuring human Lapiths in mortal combat with Centaurs (part-man and part-horse, thus having a civil and a savage side to their nature.) Myron of Eleutherai may have been one of the sculptors of the south metopes. Source: British Museum [website]; http://www.britishmuseum.org (accessed 6/14/2009