Editing Parthenon (section)

===Pediments===
{{Main|Pediments of the Parthenon}}
[[File:Athens Acropolis Parthenon Metope and pediment 03.jpg|thumb|Part of the east pediment still found on the Parthenon (although part of it, like Dionysus, is a copy)|upright=1.2]]
Two pediments rise above the portals of the Parthenon, one on the east front, one on the west. The triangular sections once contained massive sculptures that, according to the second-century geographer [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], recounted the birth of Athena and the mythological battle between Athena and [[Poseidon]] for control of Athens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE 1.17–29 – Theoi Classical Texts Library |url=https://www.theoi.com/Text/Pausanias1B.html |access-date=21 July 2022 |website=www.theoi.com |archive-date=21 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220721184032/https://www.theoi.com/Text/Pausanias1B.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====East pediment====

The east pediment originally contained 10 to 12 sculptures depicting the Birth of Athena. Most of those pieces were removed and lost during renovations in either the eighth or the twelfth century.<ref>Jeffrey M. Hurwit. "Helios Rising: The Sun, the Moon, and the Sea in the Sculptures of the Parthenon". ''American Journal of Archaeology'', vol. 121, no. 4, 2017, pp. 527–558. ''JSTOR'', {{doi|10.3764/aja.121.4.0527}}. Accessed 22 July 2022.</ref> Only two corners remain today with figures depicting the passage of time over the course of a full day. [[Chariot racing|Tethrippa]] of [[Helios]] is in the left corner and [[Selene]] is on the right. The horses of Helios's chariot are shown with livid expressions as they ascend into the sky at the start of the day. Selene's horses struggle to stay on the pediment scene as the day comes to an end.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/article/780/ |encyclopedia=[[World History Encyclopedia]] |title=The Parthenon Sculptures by Mark Cartwright 2014 |access-date=23 April 2021 |archive-date=24 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024003306/https://www.worldhistory.org/article/780/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?partid=1&assetid=1325893001&objectid=461663 |title=The British Museum: The Parthenon sculptures |access-date=19 December 2017 |archive-date=29 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829122957/http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?partid=1&assetid=1325893001&objectid=461663 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====West pediment====
The supporters of Athena are extensively illustrated at the back of the left chariot, while the defenders of Poseidon are shown trailing behind the right chariot. It is believed that the corners of the pediment are filled by Athenian water deities, such as the [[Cephissus (mythology)|Kephisos]] river, the [[Ilissos]] river, and nymph [[Callirhoe (Greek mythology)|Kallirhoe]]. This belief emerges from the fluid character of the sculptures' body position which represents the effort of the artist to give the impression of a flowing river.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/pdf/uploads/hesperia/148069.pdf |title=Athenians and Eleusinians in the West Pediment of the Parthenon |access-date=19 December 2017 |archive-date=9 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809032712/http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/pdf/uploads/hesperia/148069.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="britishmuseum.org">{{Cite web |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1816-0610-99 |title=statue; pediment &#124; British Museum |website=The British Museum |access-date=15 December 2021 |archive-date=15 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215231207/https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1816-0610-99 |url-status=live }}</ref> Next to the left river god, there are the sculptures of the mythical king of Athens ([[Cecrops I|Cecrops or Kekrops]]) with his daughters ([[Aglaurus, daughter of Cecrops|Aglaurus]], [[Pandrosos]], [[Herse of Athens|Herse]]). The statue of Poseidon was the largest sculpture in the pediment until it broke into pieces during [[Francesco Morosini]]'s effort to remove it in 1688. The posterior piece of the torso was found by Lusieri in the groundwork of a Turkish house in 1801 and is currently held in the [[British Museum]]. The anterior portion was revealed by Ross in 1835 and is now held in the [[Acropolis Museum]] of Athens.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GFNuxcVKLIkC&q=poseidon+torso+morosini&pg=PA47 |title=The Pediments of the Parthenon by Olga Palagia |isbn=978-90-04-11198-1 |last1=Palagia |first1=Olga |year=1998 |publisher=BRILL |access-date=18 November 2020 |archive-date=28 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628091750/https://books.google.com/books?id=GFNuxcVKLIkC&q=poseidon+torso+morosini&pg=PA47#v=snippet&q=poseidon%20torso%20morosini&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

Every statue on the west pediment has a fully completed back, which would have been impossible to see when the sculpture was on the temple; this indicates that the sculptors put great effort into accurately portraying the human body.<ref name="britishmuseum.org"/>