Inventory number
Ακρ. 885
Artist
Pheidias' workshop
Category
Architectural sculpture
Period
Classical Period
Date
437-432 BC
Dimensions
Torso part: 0.83 x 0.52 x 0.19 m
Height: reconstruction 2.85 m
Material
Marble from Penteli
Location
Parthenon Gallery
Upper part of the torso of a mature man and fragment from his right calf considered to come from Poseidon's statue.One more fragment which was kept until 2021 in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, probably belongs to his right forearm (ΕΑΜ 5685).
Poseidon turns slightly to the viewer’s left confronting his opponent, Athena. He leans backwards and raises his right hand in which he would have held his trident. Here Poseidon is most possibly depicted either pulling the trident off the rock, where he created a salt water spring, or striking the rock with the trident in order to flood the city, according to the relevant myth.
The upper part of the torso was found in 1835 in front of the west side of the Parthenon. It appears to have fallen off from the pediment in 1687 during Parthenon’s bombardment by the Venetians under the command of general Francesco Morosini. The rest of the torso with the back, shoulders and collarbones are plaster casts of the originals housed at the British Museum in London after they were removed by Thomas Bruce, lord of Elgin. Between 1801 and 1804 Thomas Bruce was in Greece, still under Ottoman rule at the time, and forcibly detached from the pediment most of the sculptures that he found in their original places.
The west pediment of the Parthenon portrays the dispute between Athena and Poseidon regarding who would become the divine protector of Athens. The contest was held on the Acropolis in the presence of the city’s mythical kings Kekrops and Erechtheus and other local heroes, who as judges decided the outcome in favour of Athena, preferring her gift, the olive tree, to the salty water offered by Poseidon. The centre of the scene is occupied by the two protagonists and their chariots whereas the pediments' corners contain the personifications of two rivers that flowed in ancient Athens, Ilissos and Kephissos. Due to the misadventures suffered by the monument over the following centuries many sculptures have been lost, some survive in mutilated form whereas others are represented only in small fragments.
The two Parthenon pediments are adorned with about fifty oversized statues. The sculptures, perfectly worked even on their unseen, rear sides, present scenes from the myths of the goddess Athena.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site
The use of your data is described in the privacy settings