The Parthenon was handsomely decorated with Greek ‘high reliefs’. According to Wikipedia the richness of the Parthenon's frieze and metope decoration is consistent with its function at one time as a treasury. The Metopes were a series of 92 marble panels on the outside walls and forming part of the Doric frieze. The metopes on each side of the building had a different subject according to my guide and together with the pediments and the statue of Athena Parthenos (A massive chryselephantine (gold and ivory) sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena) contained within the Parthenon, formed an elaborate programme of sculptural decoration. Fifteen of the metopes from the south wall were removed and are now part of the Parthenon Marbles in the British Museum.
The East Metopes
The fourteen East metopes were situated above the main entrance and depict the final stages of the cosmogonic battle between the Olympian gods and the Giants.
The South Metopes
The metopes of the southern wall represent the Battle of the Lapiths (Legendary figures of Greek mythology) and Centaurs, a battle that broke out during the wedding feast of the king of the Lapiths when the drunken Centaurs tried to abduct the Lapiths women.
The West Metopes
The subject of the west metopes is the legendary invasion of Athens by the Amazons.
The North Metopes
The north metopes show scenes of the Greeks warring with the Trojans.
East Pediment
You can just see the only remaining part of the east pediment in the photo. It narrates the birth of Athena from the head of her father, Zeus. According to Greek mythology, Zeus gave birth to Athena after a terrible headache prompted him to summon Hephaestus' (the god of fire and the forge) for help to alleviate the pain. He ordered Hephaestus to strike him with his forging hammer, and when he did, Zeus's head split open and out popped the goddess Athena in full armour. The sculptural arrangement depicts the moment of Athena's birth.
West pediment
The west pediment faced the Propylaia and depicted the contest between Athena and Poseidon during their competition for the honour of becoming the city's patron. Very little of the pediments remain.
You can read much more about these decorations at the Wikipedia address already cited.
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