Graves and Tombs Flashcards
naiskos
small-temple-like stela
cenotaph
funerary monument, not marking a grave
What styles characterise the ‘eastern dynasts’ tombs’?
mainland greek/Athenian monumental aesthetics alongside features of local significance
What is the wider political context for the interest of Ionian Greek dynasts in mainland G/Athenian styles?
in fall out from Pelo war, Athenian control over the west coast of A Minor had waned and so Persia took back the land
Ionian greeks lost sense of connection to mainland so expressed identity through aesthetics
What was the political purpose of the monumental tombs?
local dynasts had considerable power under Persian oversight which meant greater pressure to maintain this - especially as not elected
Building such monuments then was an expression of importance, wealth, and power, vital in maintaining support/subordinating peers
When and Where was the Nereid Monument built? Who was the entombed dynast?
early 4th cent BCE, Xanthos (lycia)
(likely) Erbinna, dynast in Xanthos in 4th cent, attested in epigraphic evidence from Letöon and statue base w both greek and Lycian poetry inscribed on it
What are the two main parts of the Nereid Monument? Derivations?
large podium base - like pillar tombs of 5th cent Xanthos aristocrats
temple like structure on top - ionic tetrastyle, v similar to T of Athena Nike
Where in Xanthos was N Mon lcoated? Significance?
atop hill
Seen easily and thus supporting idea of it as a political message
What sculptural decoration does the N Mon have?
Architrave frieze - decorated on east façade (entrance façade) w combat, boar hunt, figures bearing offerings, and preparations for a banquet. In style of continuous ionic frieze but lying directly on top of columns.
Pediment relief:
E - Erbinna and wife in centre and smaller
figures around (poss children)
W - (m fragmentary) solders in combat
Podium friezes:
Greater - heroic battle scenes, with no
apparent overall narrative (poss one of
local signif). Largely G figures, as indic by
clothing.
Lesser (higher one) - m contemporary set
combat w ordered phalanx of hoplites and
siege of city w walls and gate. Features a
portrait of the dynast in elaborate scene of
local power.
Cella frieze - inside peristyle ABOVE cella not in; public banquet w reclining men incl one, poss dynast, who looks out to the viewer (unusual in G art)
Intercolumn sculpture - free standing female sculptures w wet look clothing appearing to assoc them w sea (creatures at feet); likely local water nymphs ‘Eliyãna’
How do the podium friezes relate to Erbinna?
-mythical combat: asserts importance of locality and its mythology, and thus by assoc, Erbinna
-Greek soldiers: most basically, a desire to associate w Greeks and Greekness BUT could suggest Erbinna hired a G hoplite trainer or had G mercenaries.
-siege warfare: poetry on portrait statue suggests Urbinna acquired power by coup and thus this could be a depiction of his rise to powerful position.
-dynast under parasol: the portrait of the dynast reclining w a parasol being held over him is highly localised in subject
Why is the use of Eliyãna significant on the N Mon? Evidence?
these water nymphs were associated w local cult of Leto which Erbinna had contributed monuments and finances for
‘Letoon/Xanthos trilingual’ - inscribed stele of Lycian A, Greek, and Aramaic attesting to the establishment of the cult in 4th cent BCE references these nymphs. Other inscrips from this sanct then attest to Erbinna’s contributions.
When and where was Mausoleum (for Mausolus) built?
c353 BCE (M’s death)
overlooked harbour at Halikarnassos (Caria)
What was historical context as to Mausoleum?
392- Persians created a new satrap in Cariathe first of which was Hekatomnus took the role
377 - he dies and his son appointed with his sister-wife Artemisia.
During his reign capital was moved from Mylasa to Halikarnassos.
What are the certain features of Mausoleum? Why are these so few?
massive podium, possibly stepped to accommodate sculpture
huge ionic colonnade surrounding a cella w tomb inside
pyramidal roof crowned with a four horse chariot statue group
The tomb is in very fragmentary state
What are the 3 different reconstructions of the Mausoleum?
Waywell - three registers on base w life size, heroic, and colossal size statues displayed there; intercolumn colossal statues; lion statues atop architrave.
Jeppesen - two registers on base w life size and colossal size statues there; intercolumn colossal statues; lion statues variously up stepped pyramid roof.
Hoepfner - only frieze displayed at top of base; intercolumn figures; lions and acroteria atop architrave.
What could be reinterp of Amazonomachy for eastern context on Mausoleum?
merely a desire to mirror Athenian styles and themes
could show relevance to Persian part of significance
(in comp to GvP symbolism it often has in Greece)
Significance of ‘Mausolus and Artemisia’ sculptures?
localised styling: long hair, thick beard w prominent moustache, chiton beneath himation, and snail curl hair of woman.
demonstrates advanced g sculpture technique at this point
likely NOT the couple, would be unlikely considering the amount that has actually been preserved
alt interp = Hekatomnid ancestors of Maus
When and where was Hekatomneion built? Who are options for the entombed dynast?
c377 / c344
Mylasa (Caria)
Hekatomnus, Maus’ father who had ruled when Mylasa was capital of Hekatomnid kingdom.
What is most signif find at Hekatomneion? Descrip?
Large marble sarcophagus with relief on all sides.
FRONT (facing entrance):
Hekatomnid dynast in the centre surrounded by family members or court members (poss wife at head of kline young men in chlamys), whilst he reclines and drinks (vessel in hand). Has long hair and full beard, characteristic of his cultural appearance.
RIGHT: comparable scene to that above but dynast has no head gear and hand raised to face in a pensive gesture. Slightly diff composition of people around the dynast.
REAR: v good representation of a lion hunt. Central place taken up by dynast on horseback in full persian dress. He holds a spear, aimed at a lion. Around him are 2 chlamys wearing bearded characters and 2 typically persian dressed warriors.
LEFT: 2 dynasts facing each other. Both wearing chiton-himation combo (typical of local wear). Likely both holding spears that would have been painted on. Women stand between them, pinching their veils and therefore indicating their positions as wives. All flanked by a servant on each side.
Key features of Hekatomneion?
a wide area podium, similar to dimensions of Maus
underground tomb chamber made up of dromos and square chamber
When and where was heröon of Trysa built?
c380 BCE
On hill of Trysa (Lycia)
Main features of the heröon of Trysa?
large walls surrounded inner area
temple like architecture - stepped podium up to an amphiprostyle peristyle and main cella
friezes showing siege scenes and mythological events (well preserved) - incl siege scene and conflict betw Odysseus and suitors of Penelope.
Why is heroon of Trysa significant?
frieze = c211m (exceptionally long)
What cultures can be identified as influences in Heroon of Trysa frieze?
Greek, Lycian, Egyptian, and Far Eastern
When and where was the heröon of Perikle (Perikles in Lycian) built?
4th cent BCE
acropolis of Limyra (Lycia)
Signif of heröon of Perikle?
He was a signif dynast in the area, the last to be indpendent in Lycia, poss a motivation behind building of such a monument (symbol of independent power/legacy)
What were the two parts of the heröon of Perikle?
large podium base
temple style construction - amphiprostyle, 4 caryatid porches
What does west frieze of heröon of Perikle depict?
military procession with dynast, cavalry, and foot soldiers incl phalanx of hoplites (3 rows) though all wearing diff helmets indicating use of mercenaries
Localised features of heröon of Perikle?
General building as part of trend.
Caryatids w peplos over chiton and long archaic hair.
Spotlighting of important figures on frieze.
Large podium (pillar tomb tradition)
What appears to have been a key Greek building of influence over the eastern dynast tomb tradition?
Parthenon
What sources contribute to the reconstruction of fragmentary Mausoleum?
Pliny and Vitruvius
What were the key changes in Athenian burial practices across the 5th cent BCE?
early 5th century: disappearance of ostentatious grave markers of the elite, cross ref with Cicero who talks of a post-Solon reform decreeing for this regulation.
post-p wars: collective monuments, incl for those who died at Marathon.
430s-20s: re-emergence of private funerary monuments.
With absence of funerary evidence in mid 5th cent, what is used to supplement?
large body of evidence provided by wg lekythoi that were used in such contexts and painted with scenes of funerary practice
What form did Athenian grave markers (indiv markers) take in late 5th-4th cents BCE?
stelai
monumental lekythoi
What are theorised factors in the re-emergence of grave markers late 5th cent BCE?
war/plague/increased death
time/generations that had passed since original law
increased sculptural activity - many artists around, the material was on view, disposable income of athenians was available
What characterises the evidence of funerary markers in 4th cent Athens?
across period of 420s-317 BCE
MANY found, c3000 (indicating even larger actual number and use by ppl of diff social statuses)
normative appearances and themes - warrior, families, domestic, women, gender roles, gym youths
How were the Ath grave monuments in 4th cent organised?
in family plots - periboulos - displayed along main streets
walled grave of family remains with wall facing street displaying the various grave markers
What appears to have been the commemorative function of the periboulos grave forms in 4th cent Athens?
celebrate the late individual but also the family unit as a whole
How can the normative presentation and iconography of the Ath grave monuments of 4th cent BCE be explained?
mass production, that met big buyer base demand
economic frugality
normative presentation accentuates adherence to social norms
What should be borne in mind when considering WHO was being represented on stelae?
materials and craftsmanship would have been expensive and thus have had a more exclusive customer base
When did family stelae scenes emerge?
from c350 BCE
over what period were the athenian grave stelae used?
late 5th-early 4th BCE
With regard to epigraphs, what further emphasises the conventionality/non-individualisation of attic stelae in familial scenes?
multiple names inscribed but uncertainty around which names apply to whihc figures AND EVEN who was actually being commemorated
Why would the unity of a family be a particularly attractive image for those dealing w funerary/death context?
grieving can put family relationships and the individuals within one under strain and emotional crisis - sense of togetherness and almost a potential for idealism would have been helpful
