While the British Museum tends to get all the attention in debates and discussions about the return of the so-called ‘Elgin Marbles’ to the Acropolis Museum in Athens, there are also Parthenon ‘marbles’ in the Louvre. There are only two pieces on display, and in the vastness of the Louvre and its enormous Classical collection they are easily missed.
- Thomas Dowson
- Last Checked and/or Updated 7 March 2024
- Amazing Artefacts, Museums
The Parthenon Frieze in the Musée Du Louvre
When complete the Parthenon frieze was 160 metres in length (114 blocks each about 1.21 metres), depicting two parallel lines in procession. The single block in the Louvre (photograph above) is from the right of the frieze on the eastern side of the temple. The bodies of the two male and six female figures are quite well preserved, all but three female figures have lost their heads. This blocks depicts the point where one of the two processions are coming to an end, and male marshals can be seen receiving the women.
The Parthenon Metope in the Louvre
The metopes on the southern wall of the Parthenon tell the story of the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths that started at the Lapith King’s wedding feast. As with many ancient myths, there are different versions why the battle broke out. One version blames drunk Centaurs, while another suggests that the Centaurs were angry at having been excluded from the festivities. Either way, the Centaurs fought with the Lapiths and attempted to abduct the Lapith women. Centaurs are readily identified with their human torsos, arms and heads, as well as the body and legs of a horse.
The metope in the Louvre, the tenth metope on the southern side of the Parthenon, shows a now headless Centaur abducting a Lapith woman – also headless. A fragment of the Centaur’s right arm has been recovered since the metope let the Acropolis for France, and can be seen in the Acropolis Museum attached to a reproduction of this particular metope.
The seventh metope on the south side depicts a Centaur fighting with a Lapith man. This particular metope today is a powerful reason why I think these all the sculptures from the Parthenon should be reunited in Athens. The bulk of the metope is in London, the head of the Lapith is in Paris and the head of the Centaur is in Athens – and can be seen on the reproduction of the metope in the Acropolis Museum.
As an archaeologist with a research and teaching expertise in prehistoric and ancient arts, I am still searching for a rational explanation why anyone thinks these three fragments of the same metope should continue to be separated. Piecing together fragments of the past, physically as well as intellectually, is one the most fundamental aspects of archaeological enterprise. One that should be celebrated and facilitated, not thwarted and denied.
Interestingly, the Director of the Acropolis Museum, Nikolas Stampolidis, in a message of solidarity to the Louvre Museum following the jewellery heist on 18 October 2025, urged the Paris museum to return the Parthenon sculptures.Â
Add the Louvre Museum to Your Itineraries & Travel Lists
If you are planning a trip to Paris including a stop at the Louvre, you can create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and an itinerary for your visit. These can also be shared with your friends and on social media. You can see how this is done by watching our Using the Itinerary video on YouTube, or reading the Using the Itinerary page.
For more ideas and suggestions, sites and museums to visit, see our France Travel Guide and our Paris City Guide.
Palais du Louvre - Louvre Museum
Now one of the most famous museums in the world, the Louvre was a Royal residence. A 12 century fortress became a residence for Charles V in the mid 14th century, when he abandoned the Palais de la Cité. Since then it the principle residence of kings of France until the French Revolution, when parts of it became a public museum. The museum now occupies the entire complex. Collections include art and antiquities from France and Mediterranean Europe (Etruscan, Greek and Roman). There are also substantial collections of Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities, from late prehistory to the start of Christian and Islamic periods.
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Archaeology Travel Writer
