The sculptural friezes of the Parthenon in Athens are the most recognizable, if least well understood, of all the monuments of Classical antiquity. Created in the mid-fifth centuryBCE to adorn the new temple on the Acropolis, they represent a high point in the development of Classical Greek art and a testimony to that moment the image of man was dominant, serving both civic pride and religious awe.

In this fictionalized narrative, John Boardman--one of the world's most distinguished historians of ancient Greek art--reveals the story behind this monumental body of work. Analyzing some of its most powerful and moving scenes, he explores what the Parthenon and its sculptures meant to the citizens of Athens, the methods by which they were made, and the messages contained in the myths they portray. The work of a historian whose accounts of Greek art and civilization were with little doubt the most accomplished and lucid of his time, this is an essential introduction for anyone wishing to learn more about the ancient world and its monuments.