Unidentified sculptor, After the battle of Greeks and Amazons., c. 420-400 B.C..
Plaster cast. 720 mm x 1450 mm x 180 mm. © Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photographer: Paul Highnam.
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After the battle of Greeks and Amazons., c. 420-400 B.C.
After Unidentified sculptor
RA Collection: Art
Plaster cast of a carved marble block from the East side of the continuous frieze of the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae, in the British Museum (museum number 1815,1020.14). The East and South frieze shows the battle between Amazons and the Greeks which was led by Herakles.
To the left a Greek carries his wounded or dead companion and to the right a Greek supports his wounded comrade. The wounded or dead Greeks are depicted nude. In the centre an Amazon dressed in a short, belted peplos drags her shield behind her.
The Temple of Apollo Epikourios ('Apollo the Helper') at Bassae (Phigalia) in southwest Arcadia, Greece was built between 420-400 BC by the architect Iktinos. A sculpted Ionic frieze of 23 slabs ran around the interior of the main room (cella) of the temple. It showed three battle scenes, the Trojan Amazonomachy, the Herakleian Amazonmachy, and the Centauromachy.
In the summer of 1811 Carl Haller and R.C. Cockerell noticed these panels by chance, supposedly while peering down a fox hole. Haller returned to excavate in 1812. In 1814, the British Museum purchased all of the slabs. Under the direction of Richard Westmacott RA in 1816, the Royal Academy commissioned casts of the complete frieze. Sixteen of the 23 casts are still today at the Academy.
Object details
720 mm x 1450 mm x 180 mm
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