The pediments are the two triangular spaces under the roof at the narrow sides of the temple. They are 28 meters long and 3.45 meters wide and depict a total of 50 figures drawn from Greek mythology. The east pediment over the main entrance depicted the birth of the goddess Athena from the head of her father, Zeus, in the presence of the gods. The triangular shape of the pediment forced the sculptors to create more compact statues for the corners. Rather than causing difficulties, this was used to depict day, night and the passage of time. Thus, on the left, the sun god Helios’ carriage can be seen rising from the sea, while on the right the moon goddess Selene’s carriage is sinking. In this way, time and life are linked to the myth of the birth of Athena, indicating that the birth took place at dawn.