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    Athena's torso at the Agora of Athens
    This large Athena wears a peplos pinned at each shoulder, belted at the waist with a double cord, and a mantle bunched over her right  shoulder. 
    She is clearly identified by the narrow, folded aegis draped diagonally across her chest. 
    Between the breasts, on the aegis, is a  small head of Medusa. 
    Snakes were once added in bronze, although on the back they too were of marble. 
    The right arm extended outward,  probably to hold a spear. 
    The left was close to the body, possibly resting on a shield.
    The torso was found south of the Temple of Ares.
    Since Pausanias saw a statue of Athena there, which  he attributed to a Parian sculptor named Locros, this torso is often associated (Paus. 1.8.4).
    About 425-400 BCE, Over life-size
    Athens, Agora Museum

    (Click the image for a full screen view)



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     Copyright ©1998-2000 Roy George