Parthenon sculpture: Centaur and Lapith

This Parthenon sculpture of the Centaur and the Lapith displays a Centaur rearing triumphantly over a dying human Lapith. This image is supposed to represent the struggle of Greece to stay free from the control of Persia. The Greeks were in a time of great struggle and things were not looking so good for them so they turned towards their faith for hope. They used their faith to give them power and help them win, they used their gods for strength to help them overcome the Persians.