There were originally 92 Parthenon metopes (relief panels above the columns, between the triglyphs), 14 on the east and west sides and 32 on the others. Many of these panels are badly damaged today, others are destroyed, and several others have been removed for museums. They are dated from about 446 to 440 BCE, and are attributed to a sculptor named Kalamis.
The metopes on each of the four sides of the Parthenon depict a different mythical battle or war. The south side is perhaps the best preserved. It depicts a battle between the civilized Lapiths and the brutish half -human, half-horse centaurs, where the legendary Athenian king Theseus fought on the Lapiths' side. Oddly, the metopes seem to counter the usual version of the myth by portraying the centaurs winning. The east side, above the main entrance, is in contrastingly poor condition. It depicts the war between the gods and the giants, with the sun god Helios rising in the right to light the deities' imminent victory. The north side is similarly damaged, but seems to depict the Trojan War as the Greeks sack the city. The west side shows the legendary invasion of Athens by the Amazon warrior women. They are depicted in Eastern dress, probably based on the Persians (with whom the Greeks had only recently been at war prior to the metopes' creation).
Lapiths Vs Centaurs (South Side)