Monumental Monsters

Abstract This chapter examines the form and function of monsters adorning Greek monumental architecture. An overview is provided of the types of monsters encountered and the many places they could manifest themselves in the design of a building. Temples, in particular, provided a meeting place where a multitude of monsters from different myths could mingle across the greater aesthetic programme, though, interestingly, certain monsters, such as gorgons, appeared much more frequently than others, such as satyrs, who are rarely attested at all. While no one theory adequately accounts for all the monsters of monumental architecture, those more narrowly focused offer important insights. The frequent depiction of scenes of Centauromachies and Gigantomachies in sculptural programmes, for example, was likely because the myths were easily identifiable and communicated generic moral messages relating to codes of moral conduct and the consequences of transgressing them.