Greek Temple Decorations

Greek temples were decorated with sculpture, and painted bright colors

A prominent place for sculptural decoration was the pediment, the triangular area beneath the
sloping roof

Temple decorations usually depicted scenes from mythology, rather than everyday reality; they
represented a “perfect” world where super-heroes mingled with the gods, and good always
triumphed over evil

The earliest temple pediments were decorated with relief sculptures
West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis, Corfu, Greece, c. 600-580 BCE

But over time pediment sculptures became more three dimensional, and fitted within the
pediment like actors on a stage
West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis, Corfu, Greece, c. 600-580 BCE

This illustration shows the west pediment of the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina, which dates from
about 490-500 BCE

The sculptures are now in a museum in Munich

The subject is the legendary battle from the Trojan War, described by Homer in The Iliad

The Goddess Athena is in the center, wearing a helmet and carrying a shield and spear
Athena

The battle wages around her, as the Greeks (identified by their heroic nudity) battle against
their foes

The sculptures were created fully in the round (here you see them as they are on display in the
museum in Munich)

One of the challenges the sculptor had to deal with was fitting the action into the triangular
shape of the pediment

This was done by varying the poses: The Greek warriors bend their knees just slightly, then the
archers are squatting, and finally the wounded soldiers who recline in either corner
Bent
knees
Squatting
Reclining

Even without the architectural setting, you can see how the poses fit within the sloping roof
line

The statues were also originally painted; this reconstruction shows one of the archers, dressed
in a colorful costume that would have identified him as of eastern origin

Two of the most fascinating figures are the wounded soldiers that occupy the outer edges of
the scene

The figure reclines on the ground as he pulls a spear from his chest

The simplified anatomy and incongruous smile is typical of the Archaic period

But this figure, from the East Pediment, was completed ten years later, and the transition from
the Archaic to the Classical period is evident

The pose is more complex, and the anatomy is handled with much greater sophistication

And there is a much more convincing sense of emotion, as we empathize with his defeat

This group of statues decorated the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Olympia was one of the most important sanctuaries in all of the Greek city-states. The Olympic
games were held here, and the main temple was dedicated to the chief Olympian god Zeus

The building was designed by the architect Libon, and was built between 470-456 B.C.E. When
it was completed, it was the largest and most beautiful building in all of the Greek city-states (a
distinction that would soon pass to Athens with the building of the Parthenon in 447-438 BCE)

East Pediment, Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 471-456 BCE
The East pediment depicts the legendary story of a chariot race between Pelops and King
Oinomaos

The figures are lined up like actors on a stage, with Zeus in the center, and the competitors
poised in their chariots to either side

The theme of competition was certainly suitable to the setting, but the story was also about
cheating, and the fate of those who try to win by other than honorable means. This would
have sent a powerful message to the participants in the games!

The West pediment depicts the mythical story of the Lapiths and Centaurs
Lapiths and Centaurs, West Pediment, Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 471-456 BCE

Centauromachy, Françoise Vase, c. 570 BCE
Centaurs were mythical creatures that were half man, half beast, and were known for their
“wild” behavior

Centauromachy. Side A from an Attic red-figure column-krater, ca. 450–440 BCE. Louvre Museum
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Centauromachy_Louvre_G367.jpg
According to this myth, the Centaurs were invited to a Lapith wedding (the Lapiths were a
Greek tribe). The Centaurs got drunk and began to rape the women (not exactly “civilized”
behavior!)

Although in fragments, we can see the Centaurs attacking the Lapith women in the left and
right portions of the pediment

In this scene we see a woman struggling with a Centaur on the left, while another Centaur bites
the arm of a Greek on the right

Another Lapith woman struggles against the grip of a Centaur

In this scene we see a Centaur attacking a Lapith woman

While the Centaurs literally “man-handle” the Lapith women, their “lusty” behavior contrasts
dramatically with the serene expressions on the faces of the Lapith women, who remain
inexplicably calm even though they are being literally “man-handled” by the Centaurs

The emotional restraint of the Lapith women reflects their more “civilized” character, and acts
as a foil to the “barbaric” behavior of the Centaurs

In the center of the composition is the god Apollo, who comes upon the scene like Superman,
ready to “save the day”

Youthful, and flawlessly beautiful, he stands perfectly composed like the calm center of a
storm, as he raises his arm in a commanding gesture that will restore order out of chaos

According to Judith Barringer, the West pediment (and other decorations at Olympia) were
uniquely suited to the site of the Olympic games

She notes that many of the poses resemble wrestling poses, and one of the figures actually has
a “cauliflower ear” — a common wrestling and boxing injury

The message of the statue group, as she summarizes, was to inspire competition:
“[T]he west pediment . . . was intended to be an inspiring exhortation to the Olympic
athletes: “Successful athletes, who behave like heroes . . . will win honor, glory, and wives
not by violence like the Centaurs but by athletic prowess and martial honor . . . Win, and
win honorably, and all will be yours.”
Judith M. Barringer, “The Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Heroes and Athletes,” p. 7

But scholars have also interpreted the Lapith and Centaur theme to be a political allegory
alluding to the Greek victory over the Persians

“[C]entauromachies were extremely popular in Greek art and represented the struggle of the
civilized world against barbarians. In the years following the invasion of the Persians and their
repulsion by the Greeks, the period in which the Temple of Zeus was built, the subject was a
reference to that crisis and ultimate victory of the Greeks and to the values for which they had
stood.”
Olympia, West Pediment – Perseus Project, Tufts University

So the Greeks who visited the sanctuary of Olympia for the Olympic games would have
recognized a political allegory in the temple’s decorations

Like the monstrous Centaurs, the Persians were characterized as “barbarians” — they lacked
restraint, gave in to their animal instincts, and were lacking in physical and moral beauty

In contrast, the Greeks (like the god Apollo) were “civilized,” as evidenced by their moderation
and self restraint, and were therefore superior to their foreign enemy

As we will see, the story of the Lapiths and Centaurs will reappear on the Parthenon — only
there Athens will claim the victory over the Persians as her own!

Greek Temple Decorations

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