North Metope of the Parthenon with Athena
North Metope of the Parthenon with Athena and Hera or Themis
North Metope 32. 442-441 BCE. Parthenon Museum, Athens.
- The chiton-clad Goddess seated on a rock presents an extraordinary pattern of wavy folds across the center of her body and her left side, not matched on the pediment or the frieze, and contrasting with the comparative severity of the peplophoros before her.
- The latter's severity is mitigated by the cloak she holds as a backdrop to her body.
- Since she is Athena we may assume that this eye-catching style and pose (and the fact that this is the first metope figure faced by anyone approaching the Parthenon) is deliberate.
- The debate surrounding Parthenon North Metope 32 centers on identifying the standing female figure interacting with the seated goddess Hera, with scholars split between Athena and Hebe. Proponents of the Hera-Athena theory view the scene as a solemn divine council reflecting the Trojan War theme (Ilioupersis) of the north facade, where the two powerful goddesses align to decide the fate of Troy. Conversely, those favoring the Hera-Hebe identification interpret the interaction as a domestic, ritualistic moment—a mother accompanied by her daughter, the goddess of youth, who acts as her personal attendant. Because severe Christian mutilation in the 6th century AD destroyed critical identifying attributes and symbols, archaeologists must rely on subtle body language and narrative context, leaving the metope permanently open to interpretation as either a high-stakes political alliance or an intimate Olympian scene.
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