Commentary Prepared by Dr. Julia Lenaghan, Ashmolean Museum

A 087 B
Maidens and Marshals (Slab 7); Parthenon Frieze East

Marble (Pentelic)
Frieze
W 107 cm

Excavated by Fauvel in 1782 in front of the eastern porch of the Parthenon and later transferred to Paris.
France, Paris, Louvre, MA 738
High Classical, ca. 440-432 BC

Preservation:
The top of the slab with the heads of most figures is missing (only of the second girl from the right is the lower half of the head preserved). There are scores on the hands and thighs of all figures, otherwise the surface of the relief is in good condition.

Description:
Depicted is a group of four female figures moving to the left. They all wear an identical dress of peploi, short mantles that are draped over their backs, and sandals. The two girls on the left walk in file closely together, then after a short gap follows another girl, the only one with an attribute (a phiale) in her right hand. The figure on the right has slightly turned, so that her torso appears almost frontally.

Discussion:
The four girls depicted here complete the group of sacrificial servants, probably ergastinoi, walking at the head of the procession (see also A 87a).

Bibliography:
F. Brommer, Der Parthenonfries (Mainz 1977) 121-124 pls. 186-187 A very detailed study of the Parthenon frieze including previous bibliography and ample photographic documentation.
E. Berger, Der Parthenon in Basel. Dokumentation zu den Metopen (Basel 1986) 166-167 pl. 138 Detailed study of the Parthenon frieze based on the reconstruction in the Basel cast collection, including an extensive bibliography.
I. Jenkins, The Parthenon Frieze (London 1994) 81 The latest official documentation of the frieze by the British Museum. Jenkins has renumbered some of the slabs and put them in a different order.