The South Metope V, part of the Parthenon Marbles collection held at the British Museum, is a high-relief stone sculpture measuring approximately 1.6 meters by 0.8 meters. Carved from marble in the 5th century BCE, it originates from Athens, Greece, residing as part of the Parthenon's exterior, a temple erected in honor of Athena, the city's chief deity.
The scene illustrates an altercation between a human warrior and a centaur, a creature of Greek mythology with a discerptible human upper body and a horse’s lower torso. This conflict corresponds to the legendary battle involving the Lapiths tribe and the Centaurs, incumbent upon the Greek ethos of hospitality, or xenia.
The human character is portrayed in a stable stance, its weight anchored on the rear leg, while the centaur embodies a pose suggestive of combat readiness. The sculptor's proficiency is perceptible in the details such as the three-dimensional quality of the warrior's protective gear, alongside the accurate representation of the centaur's equine characteristics.
The statue exhibits an exceptional endurance over the span of 2,500 years, despite manifest signs of weather corrosion and physical disturbances. Although erosion has resulted in a degree of loss of detail, the overall preservation remains sufficiently adequate to convey its historical magnificence.
