Greek Classical Sculpture

Peplos Ceremony

The peplos ceremony is located in the middle of the Parthenon's East Frieze. It is the only aspect of the architectural sculpture on the Parthenon which does not refer to mythology, but rather to a ceremony that took place every four years in Athens. A widely accepted interpretation of this scene proposes that the smaller two female figures at left, who carry stools with cushions on their heads, are arrephoroi who spent a year weaving a peplos or woolen dress while living on the Acropolis. This peplos was created as a gift offered to the goddess Athena during the greatest of all Athenian festivals, the Panathenaia, which celebrated her birth. This scene shows the moment after the goddess has accepted the gift of the peplos. Instead of portraying the climactic moment of the presentation, the happy result is being depicted, as this ritual is essential to the well-being of the Athenian people.