However, it is believed that the pediment offers a link between the Thessalian Lapiths and the Eleans. The Centauromachy was known to earlier Greeks through Homeric poems and pottery, but the Temple of Zeus is the first large scale structure to include the myth within its architecture. The Centauromachy stresses human achievement, unlike the more common myth for architecture, the Gigantomachy, explaining its usage on the temple. The wrestling of the Centaurs and injuries of the Lapith men, can create relations between the characters and the participating athletes. The depiction of the Centauromachy on the Temple of Zeus is the first to include women in the myth. The inclusion of women on the pediment is thought to be a reminder to the viewers of the women who competed in the Heraia. The Lapith women in the myth appealed to the female audience because it served as a reminder and inspiration of the female athletes in the Heraia. The scene appealed to the male audience because the Lapith women in the myth were attacked by Centaurs and saved by heroic men. With both the west and east pediments, the athletes participating in the games would see many instances of heroes winning honor, glory, and love and be inspired to perform
However, it is believed that the pediment offers a link between the Thessalian Lapiths and the Eleans. The Centauromachy was known to earlier Greeks through Homeric poems and pottery, but the Temple of Zeus is the first large scale structure to include the myth within its architecture. The Centauromachy stresses human achievement, unlike the more common myth for architecture, the Gigantomachy, explaining its usage on the temple. The wrestling of the Centaurs and injuries of the Lapith men, can create relations between the characters and the participating athletes. The depiction of the Centauromachy on the Temple of Zeus is the first to include women in the myth. The inclusion of women on the pediment is thought to be a reminder to the viewers of the women who competed in the Heraia. The Lapith women in the myth appealed to the female audience because it served as a reminder and inspiration of the female athletes in the Heraia. The scene appealed to the male audience because the Lapith women in the myth were attacked by Centaurs and saved by heroic men. With both the west and east pediments, the athletes participating in the games would see many instances of heroes winning honor, glory, and love and be inspired to perform