168 THE MYTHS OF CREATION: THE GODS
Mourning Athena. Marble relief from the Acropolis, ca. 460 B.c.; height 21 in. Athena is a
young woman, with helmet and spear, but without aegis and shield. She gazes at a stele
(an upright stone slab) on which may have been inscribed the names of Athenians killed
in the previous year's fighting. The folds of her skirt follow her body and do not fall
straight. The title and purpose of the work are unknown, but it shows how closely the
goddess was concerned with the life and death of her citizens. (Acropolis Museum, Athens.
Courtesy of Alinari/Art Resource, New York.)