Detail of Hekatompedon - East Pediment Snake

Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece

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Ancient Greek architectural sculpture depicting the head and coiled body of a snake. The sculpture is carved from poros limestone and has been pieced together and restored with plaster. The snake's form is robust and dynamic, shown slithering with its head raised and mouth open, turning toward the right. Its body is covered in relief scales that retain clear traces of ancient paint, specifically bold red and deep green colors. The stone itself is light-colored. A fragment from the east pediment of the Hekatompedon, where it was likely positioned in the narrow left corner, solving the challenge of fitting a figure into the triangular space. The snake represents the oikouros ophis (guardian serpent) of the Acropolis, emphasizing the indigenous origin of the Athenians.

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Close-up picture of the body of the Hekatompedon East Pediment snake.

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