Northern frieze.

These are marked from 26 to 46.  On the first of this series a youth was originally represented receiving a crown of honour in a chariot race.  Then follow successively five slabs, all bearing bas-reliefs of chariots and charioteers.  These slabs are greatly admired by artists, and are said, at the present day, to be perhaps the finest specimens of bas-relief extant.  After the chariots with more notable people forming the procession, the successive marbles marked 32 to 43 are filled up with the groups of horsemen who followed the chariots.  The forms of the animals are beautifully grouped and executed; and may, after the many centuries of time that have elapsed since they were placed behind the Parthenon columns, be consulted by the modern artist as the finest extant models upon which he can exercise his student’s hand.  On the slabs 36, 7, how finely are the horses and riders grouped, and how firmly and gracefully is the rude figure upon the central horse of the second slab posed!  Having sufficiently admired these fine groups, the visitor should at once turn to the slab marked 46.  Here, a young man standing near his horse is about to crown himself; while a standing figure to the right appears to have dismounted, and to be suffering some adjustment of dress by a servant behind him.  At the right end of this slab is a figure seen sideways, and representing the first part of the decoration of the

Western frieze.

Only one of the fifteen slabs of the western frieze is the original marble:—­the rest are casts from the frieze still adorning the ruins of the temple.  The western frieze is included in the slabs marked from 47 to 61.  The marble in the possession of the museum from the western frieze is, however, one of great value.  It represents two mounted horsemen—­the whole exquisitely carved.  Passing forward from this, the forty-eighth slab (48) represents a horse to which three men are attending.  Mounted horsemen also fill up the next two slabs (49, 50).  On the fifty-first a rider is represented habited in full armour, with another rider, dismounted, who appears to be rubbing a hurt on his left leg.  The two following slabs (52,3) are horses and men;—­on the latter, a dismounted man in a flowing robe endeavouring to curb a rearing steed.  On the next slab (54) are two horsemen mounted, the one to the right wearing a hat that has a modern appearance, and is similar to those worn by dignitaries of the Greek church at the present time.  A fine horse and graceful horseman occur in the right corner of the slab 55,—­the action of the horse is finely sculptured.  The remaining sculptures of the western frieze represent figures of mounted and dismounted horsemen, of which the visitor may notice the graceful figures on slab 57 (where the horse is rubbing his leg), and slab 60, where the figure to the right appears to be only preparing to join the procession.  Having examined these, the visitor should at once proceed to examine the remarkable points of the