Commentary Prepared by Dr. Julia Lenaghan, Ashmolean Museum

A 102 C
Battle between Greeks and Persians (Temple of Athena Nike, South Frieze). London.

Marble (Pentelic)
Frieze
H: ca. 45 cm; W (max.): 67 cm

South frieze, block g (left half). From the Acropolis at Athens. The slab had been reused in a Turkish fortification wall and was taken away by Lord Elgin in 1802. It was later given to the British Museum in London.
United Kingdom, London, British Museum, 424
High Classical, ca. 430-420 BC

Preservation:
The entire surface is heavily worn and abraded, all figures are missing limbs. The upper left corner of the slab has broken off.

Description:
The relief depicts two figures facing each other. To the left kneels a man in oriental dress, a quiver and bow strapped to his side. He has raised his left arm, holding his pelta-shield for protection, while his right rests on the ground. Next to him is a nude figure in wide stance, his torso depicted frontally. A mantle is draped over the advanced right leg. He holds a round hoplite shield in his left, his right was raised and brandished a weapon.

Discussion:
Depicted here is another duel between a Greek and a Persian. The Greek is shown in a heroic pose, about to strike down his opponent. He fights back to back with another Greek (see A 102d), and the whole battle on the south frieze seems to evolve around these two figures. His stance closely recalls the figure of Harmodios from the Tyrannicide group; this particular pose was frequently used to depict the central figure in a narrative frieze or pediment, for example for the figure of Theseus in the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. It is also recurs on the frieze of the Hepahisteion in Athens, where two figures almost identical to those on the frieze of the Nike temple fight back to back. For the south frieze cf. A 102a, for the temple in general see A 101a.

Bibliography:
A.H. Smith, A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum III (London 1904) 242-245 Catalogue entry with basic information.
C. Blümel, "Der Fries des Tempels der Athena Nike in der attischen Kunst des fünften Jahrhunderts vor Christus" (JdI 65/66 1950) 135-165 Detailed description of the frieze.
E. B. Harrison, "The South Frieze of the Nike Temple and the Marathon Painting in the Painted Stoa" (AJA 76 1972) 353-378 pls. 73-78 Points out similarities between the frieze and Pausanias’ description of the painting of the Marathon battle by Polygnotus, and argues that the same battle is depicted.
T. Hölscher, Griechische Historienbilder des 5. und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. [Beiträge zur Archäologie 6] (Würzburg 1973) 91-98 Argues that the friezes show historic battles in the wake of Marathon.
F. Felten, Griechische Tektonische Friese archaischer und klassischer Zeit (Waldsassen 1984) 118-131 pls. 33-39; 47 Interprets the south frieze as a battle against Persians, and the west and north friezes as a unified composition showing the Trojan War as mythological paradigm for the Persian Wars.
H. Knell, Mythos und Polis. Bildprogramme griechischer Bauskulptur (Darmstadt 1990) 140-149 Good summary and bibliography of recent research on the frieze.
E. B. Harrison, "The Glories of the Athenians: Observations on the Program of the Frieze of the Temple of Athena Nike", in: D. Buitron-Oliver (ed.), The Interpretation of Architectural Sculpture in Greece and Rome (Washington 1997) 109-125 Argues that the south frieze represents Marathon and that other heroic (mythical) exploits of the Athenians are depicted on the north and west friezes.