Instead of allowing the bride to be carried away, it was open to the sculptor to make her an imposing figure in the central group of metopes, as we think he has done.

Next, 20, we have two women, standing back to back. One of them, as drawn by Carrey, holds a scroll over what seems to be a table. He may have drawn accurately what he saw, and for all we know to the contrary a woman holding out a scroll over a table may be consistent with a marriage ceremony. But he has drawn the other woman turning her back to her companion, and holding in her hand what appears to be a knife, as if she were preparing for an emergency. Finally, 21, we have two 21, we have two women gathered round an image or xoanon, towards which, as we have already said, they had gone for protection, as in the Phigaleian frieze.

Long ago it was proposed to interpret these central metopes as representing the marriage scene of Peirithöos, interrupted by the inroad of the Centaurs. Since then this view has been generally rejected, but without, as we think, due consideration. The only alternative which has been suggested is that the central metopes represent a congeries of legends having no direct connection with the Lapiths and Centaurs; but this seems absurd, since we must as a consequence assume that Pheidias, great artist as he wasgreatest of all, perhaps, in his masterly gift of composition on a grand scale—had abandoned this gift in the south metopes.

On the analogy of the frieze of the Parthenon, as we shall see afterwards, the metopes of the north side of the temple should correspond in subject to those of the south, of which we have been speaking so far. That is to say, the north

COMPARISON WITH NORTH METOPES

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metopes should also represent the struggles of Centaurs and Lapiths at the marriage of Peirithöos and Deidameia. In their present state the north metopes, so far as they exist at all, are, with one exception, too much disfigured to settle the question definitely by themselves. But to judge from certain drawings that were made in the seventeenth century from some of the central metopes of that series-now entirely lost-it appears that they at least had represented Centaurs (Pl. XII., Figs. a, b, d). It is equally clear from the metopes still in their place on the building towards each end of the north side that they consist largely of female figures. Thus it would seem that the sculptor, while repeating the same subject of Centaurs and Lapiths as on the south side, had reversed his composition in this way, that on the north side the combats of Centaurs and Lapiths occupied the central metopes, while the women and others associated with the marriage, but not yet attacked, were placed on the two sides. That may be regarded as fairly certain. The purpose of the sculptor is obvious. A visitor to the Acropolis of Athens approached the Parthenon from the west, and would see the metopes of the west front first, with its Gigantomachia still identifiable as such. He would then have to choose whether he would pass along by the north or by the south side of the Parthenon, following the metopes as he went on. Whichever side he chose he would find the same subject -the Centauromachia in connection with the marriage of Peirithöos - the same subject on each side, but with the order of the composition inverted. So that, in fact, it was not necessary for the visitor to examine both sides so far as the subject was concerned.

Only one of the north metopes, 32, has been preserved fairly well. There is a cast of it in the Elgin Room (Pl. XI.). It represents two Lapith women, one sitting on a rock, the other approaching her. This metope deserves careful inspection, because, apart from it, we have almost no means of controlling Carrey's drawings of the Lapith women in the south metopes, and of translating, so to speak, his drawings into actual sculpture. If we could do so effectively, we should then be in the same position with regard to them as we are in with regard to his drawings of the Centaurs and Lapiths from the flanks of the south side, brought home by Lord Elgin. Carrey's drawings of these Centaurs and Lapiths indicate the general pose and action of the figures. To a great extent they reflect also the style of the sculpture. But they are hasty sketches, and necessarily do not convey to us the sense of reality and force which strikes us in the actual marbles.

Let us examine this northern metope from the point of view just indicated. The woman on the right is seated on a rock with one foot raised. The nearer foot is broken off, but clearly it has been drawn back as if in excitement. The lowering of the knee and what remains of the leg show this much. The right hand has been raised a little, while the left arm, which is now gone, is known to have been stretched upward in alarm; it is so in a drawing by one of Lord Elgin's artists made when the metope was in better condition. She wears an under chiton of a thin material, which shows on her breast and arms and towards the feet. Over this she has a thick himation wrapped round the legs and falling over the left shoulder. The figure standing before her, obviously