What Does Athena Promachos Mean?

The Athena Promachos was a colossal bronze statue of Athena sculpted by Pheidias, which stood between the Propylaea and the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens. Athena was the tutelary deity of Athens and the goddess of wisdom and warriors.

What happened to the statue of Athena Promachos?

Niketas Choniates documented a riot taking place in the Forum of Constantine in Constantinople in 1203 CE where a large, bronze, statue of Athena was destroyed by a "drunken crowd" which is now thought to have been the Athena Promachos.

What does the statue of Athena represent?

Athena, besides being goddess of wisdom, is often depicted as being cunning and a trickster, thus embodying the sphinx. In regards to the Greeks, it not only serves as a representation of their innovation and wisdom, but as an example of their achievements.