Athena's Torso at the Agora of Athens

Athena's torso at the Agora of Athens
About 425-400 BCE. Over life-size. Agora Museum, Athens.

  • This large Athena wears a peplos pinned at each shoulder, belted at the waist with a double cord, and a mantle bunched over her right shoulder.
  • She is clearly identified by the narrow, folded aegis draped diagonally across her chest.
  • Between the breasts, on the aegis, is a small head of Medusa.
  • Snakes were once added in bronze, although on the back they too were of marble.
  • The right arm extended outward, probably to hold a spear.
  • The left was close to the body, possibly resting on a shield.
  • The torso was found south of the Temple of Ares. Since Pausanias saw a statue of Athena there, which he attributed to a Parian sculptor named Locros, this torso is often associated (Paus. 1.8.4).

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