The Athena Promachos ("she who fights in the front line") was a colossal bronze statue which stood between the Propylaia and the Parthenon on the acropolis of Athens. It was sculpted by the great Pheidias, who also sculpted the huge gold and ivory Cult statue of Athena Parthenos in the parthenon. The Promachos was one of Pheidias' earliest recorded works dating around 450BC. It was made with the spoils of the battle of Marathon, won several years earlier. It was about 30 feet high, and showed Athena standing with her shield rested upright against her leg, and a spear in her right hand. The statue was so big it was possible to see the Tip of the spear and her helmet crest at sea off cape sounion.

Athena promachos stood for about 1000 years overlooking her city until the late 5th Cent AD (450-525 AD) when she was transported to Constantinople (Capital of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire), The last bastion and safe haven for many surviving greek bronze sculpture (The Greek orthadox church of the eastern Roman empire admired greek art enough to preserve it for many centuries). Athena was finally destroyed in 1203 by a superstitious mob who thought she was beckoning the crusaders who had besieged the city. Sadly no roman Coplies exist of this particular statue apart from poor images on Roman coins.