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Current Issue: April 2012 (116.2)
Jenifer Neils and Peter Schultz shed new light on the apobates race depicted on the Parthenon
A reexamination of the north frieze of the Parthenon indicates that the leading apobates contestant is the winner in this Panathenaic contest. The apobates race, a spectacle that consisted of armed warriors racing in, leaping off, and running alongside four- or two-horse chariots, was one of the most famous events of the Great Panathenaia. Representations of chariot groupings consisting of 21 chariot teams were carved in the center of the Parthenon frieze on its north and south sides. It is likely that these groups represent tribal units and that the apobates contest was a tribal one. This article argues that the chariot team on blocks North XI-XII stands out iconographically from the other groupings on the frieze and that this scene represents the moment of victory. Open access for a limited time.
Upcoming Articles
Gianfranco Adornato scrutinizes literary sources and archaeological data for the first tyranny of Phalaris at Akragas, Sicily.
Jeffrey G. Royal highlights results of the Illyrian Coastal Exploration Program, focusing on the Roman and Late Roman finds.
Drawing on archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data, John M. Marston discusses agricultural strategies and economy in ancient Anatolia.
Geoffrey D. Summers and Erol Özen explore the Hittite stone and sculpture quarry at Karakız Kasabası and Hapis Boğazı, Anatolia.
L. Vance Watrous uses data from previous excavations at Gournia, Crete, to determine the function and cultural context of various structures on the shore of the site.