Zeus, Hera, and Iris

This Parthenon frieze section (447–438 BC) shows Zeus enthroned, once holding a sceptre of authority. Beside him sits Hera, queen of the gods and his consort, lifting her veil in a bridal gesture, while Iris, the divine messenger, stands behind. Their larger scale compared to nearby figures marks them as deities within the human procession, expressing how civic ritual and divine presence were understood as inseparable.