Funerary Stela of Demokleides

The Funerary Stela of Demokleides (NAMA 752) is a funerary cenotaph on display at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.[1]

Funerary Stela of Demokleides
MaterialMarble
Height0.70 m
Width0.45 m
Period/culture400-375 BC
Discovered1881
Piraeus
Present locationNational Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
IdentificationSculpture Collection inv. no 752
CultureClassical Athens

Displayed as part of the museum's sculpture collection, the stele is unique amongst many stele and gravestones contemporary to Classical Athens, for its naval iconography, and its usage of minimalism.[1][2]

Description

The stela was discovered in 1881 in the port city of Piraeus, and depicts a young hoplite, in chiton sitting on his chlamys, with his shield, weaponry, and Corinthian helmet behind him.[1][2] The text above the young man denotes him as Demokleides, son of Demetrios. [1]

Demokleides is seen in a pensive position, right arm resting on his knees, overlooking the vast emptiness that is the sea, on the ram of a trireme. The stele was likely once painted blue as well.[1][3]

The stele was dedicated by his family, mourning the loss of him and his body, presumably lost at sea, killed in action in at the Battle of Nemea in 394 BC, and as a hoplite, the graves are observed to be of higher status, with more attention paid by the families of the deceased.[1][2][4]

References
  1. "When the sea turns into a vast watery grave …". National Archaeological Museum. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  2. Robson, Joseph (December 2018). "For Oikos and Polis: Classical Attic Grave Reliefs as Family Monuments A Prosopographic Study of 14 Plaster Casts of Grave Reliefs from The Cast Gallery of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford". International Journal of Student Research in Archaeology (4): 35. Retrieved 27 July 2023 – via Academia.edu.
  3. "Grave Stele Of Demokleides". Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  4. Wassermann, Felix (1969). "Serenity and Repose: Life and Death on Attic Tombstones". The Classical Journal. 64 (5): 193–202 – via JSTOR.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.