Centauromachy

Definition

The mythical battle between the Lapiths, a people of Thessaly, and the centaurs, creatures with human upper bodies and horses’ bodies.

Used by OCR

Paper 1

Two important examples are the Centauromachy on the Parthenon in Athens and the Amazonomachy on the frieze of the Temple of Apollo at Bassae, in Arcadia. Both show Greeks fighting formidable opponents. To understand their messages, we need to connect the story, the sculptor’s choices and the original setting.
Revise: Greece
A mythological battle between Centaurs and humans, especially the Lapiths.
Revise: Visual and Material Sources

Create a free account to read GCSE Classics revision notes for your exam board and track your progress.

A mythical battle between the Lapiths and centaurs, frequently interpreted in Greek art as a struggle between order and disorder.