Commentary Prepared by Dr. Julia Lenaghan, Ashmolean Museum

A 074
Lapith and Centaur (South Metope 7); Parthenon

Marble (Pentelic)
Metope
H 139 cm; W 137 cm

The metope was removed from the Parthenon by Elgin in 1801/02 and subsequently transferred to London. The Lapith’s head was acquired by the Louvre in 1880 after allegedly having been found in the sea at Piraeus ten years previously. Only the centaur’s head remained in Athens.
United Kingdom, London, British Museum, 310
High Classical, ca. 440 BC

Preservation:
The lapith’s hands, his right leg and left foot, the centaur’s right arm, left hand and the lower part of his left hind leg are missing. The upper right corner of the metope is restored, the astragalus on its upper border is not preserved. The heads of both figures are much battered. The cast unites fragments now in three different countries.

Description:
The Lapith strides forward and pushes the rearing centaur with his outstretched left, whilst his right arm must have held a sword. He is only dressed with a chlamys; the centaur also wears a regular garment rather than an animal skin.

Discussion:
The violent scene on this relief is made up of two converging diagonals. The Lapith has forced the centaur to the right corner of the metope and will soon strike him down. His powerful stride and victorious pose have led some scholars to identify him as a particular hero, for example Peirithoos. Carrey’s drawing shows the figures more complete, including the Lapith’s right leg and both heads (that were rediscovered only much later). On see south metopes in general see A 72.

Bibliography:
A. H. Smith, British Museum. The Sculptures of the Parthenon (London 1910) 30 pl. 19 fig. 1 Catalogue entry with basic information.
F. Brommer, Die Metopen des Parthenon (Mainz am Rhein 1967) 86-87 pls. 185-189 A very detailed study of the Parthenon metopes including previous bibliography and ample photographic documentation.
T. Bowie and D. Thimme, The Carrey Drawings of the Parthenon Sculptures (Bloomington 1971) 47 Important study of the drawings made by Carrey before the Parthenon was damaged in 1687.
E. Berger, Der Parthenon in Basel. Dokumentation zu den Metopen (Basel 1986) 86-87 pls. 88-89 Detailed study of the Parthenon metopes based on the reconstructions in the Basel cast collection; an updated version of Brommer.