The west side of the Altar: the frieze on the southern wing

On the west end of the projecting southern wing of the Altar are Dionysos, the god of wine and fertility, and his mother Semele (one of Zeus’ lovers). They confront two Giants who are now almost completely lost but named by inscriptions: at right the Giant Peloreus (“monsterâ€) falls under the attack of Semele’s lion, while at left Palamneus (“murdererâ€) is charged by Dionysos, his panther, and two boyish satyrs. The artists’ names inscribed on this side are Dionysiades and Menekrates (son) of Menekrates. Theorretos, the artist possibly from Pergamon, is named around the corner to the left, on the side of the frieze facing the stairs. The few fragments that can be reconstructed in this section represent three goddesses, surely nymphs from Dionysos’ retinue. Only the last relief slab of this section is well-preserved. It depicts a winged Giant (named either Bro[nteas], “thunderer,â€ or Bro[mos], “rumblerâ€) whose right snake-leg is being attacked by an eagle of Zeus. The sculptor incorporated the stairs into the scene such that the Giant falls back upon them, seemingly driven into the corner by a torch-bearing nymph.