The pediments were the spaces formed below the pitched roof at the narrow sides of a building. The name derives from their triangular shape, reminiscent of an eagle spreading his wings.

A total of fifty statues, fully sculpted even on their hidden rear portions, once stood in the Parthenon’s two pediments, where they represented two well-known mythical scenes. In the east, above the temple’s entrance, the birth of Athena from the head of her father Zeus was depicted; in the west, the struggle between Athena and Poseidon to decide who would become the protector of Attica, a contest which Athena won.

The pedimental sculptures were carved from Pentelic marble and originally augmented with colourful paint and metal accessories. Their chief creator was Pheidias, whose collaborators included his pupils Agorakritos, Alkamenes, Kolotes, Kresilas and other great craftsmen.