Athena Promachos, "she who fights in the front line", was the warrior form of the patron goddess of Athens: striding forward with her shield raised and her spear poised to strike. Small bronze statuettes of the goddess in this pose were among the most common offerings dedicated on the Acropolis in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE.
The type was monumentalized by Pheidias' colossal bronze Athena Promachos, which stood between the Propylaia and the Parthenon and whose spear tip was said to be visible to sailors rounding Cape Sounion.
