Bühne frei für Athena

The Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, built in the 5th century B.C. and arguably the most famous of ancient Greek structures, holds some mysteries even today. Its east pediment depicted the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus—a prototypical cosmological event recorded in ancient written sources. This catalog focuses on the first archaeologically founded reconstruction of the figures on the east pediment, developed on the basis of a digital 3-D model. Using innovative methods, numerous fragments were reclassified and, for the first time, assembled into a convincing overall picture. The detective work involved in the reconstruction is supplemented by texts regarding the color scheme, the history of research, the perspectives of antiquity, and the myth’s literary interpretation. As a result, it has now become possible to view the monumental figure group in its original composition.New research findings offering a fascinating glimpse into the birth of Athena and its monumental presentationReconstruction of the entire sculpture group on the east pediment of the Parthenon—including a fold-out panel providing an overall viewExhibition: Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, Frankfurt/M., 18 November 2026 to 25 July 2027