From the sixth century BCE onward equestrian monuments figure prominently among sculptural dedications on the Athenian Acropolis. What makes this sculptural type especially suitable for Athens’ patron goddess and what occasions spark their use? This paper reviews the evidence and suggests some reasons for the popularity of “Athena’s horsemen” including possible connections to the later riders of the Parthenon frieze.

Mary Ann Eaverly is a classical archaeologist and Professor of Classics at the University of Florida. She received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College and her PhD from the University of Michigan and was a fellow at the American School of Classical Studies, Athens. Her interest in equestrian monuments stems from her curiosity about the use and meaning of early Greek sculpture which resulted in a monograph-- Archaic Greek Equestrian Sculpture.  Her most recent book is Tan Men, Pale Women: Color and Gender in Archaic Greece and Egypt. Together with Professor Marsha Bryant (UF English) she has published numerous articles on connections between modern women writers and Greco- Roman and Egyptian mythology. Professor Eaverly is also a member of the IMOS (Impact of Materials on Society) project, a collaboration with the UF College of Engineering and is an affiliate faculty member of the Department of Art History. She has won several UF teaching awards.