DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9184#0329
3o6
New Cliapters in Greek History. [Chap. X.
served them almost uninjured until one day when they
were once more brought to the light by a French
archaeological expedition in the year 1863. The sudden-
ness with which these monuments were overwhelmed is
indicated by the fact that some of them were and
remain unfinished ; the completeness of their disappear-
ance is proved by the silence of Pausanias the traveller,
who, passing through all quarters of Athens in the time
of the Antonines, would appear to have seen no trace
of them. All of the monuments in this group are
of course indubitably Athenian, and furnish the best
materials for the present paper. Of the stones in the
museum it is sometimes impossible to trace the finding
spot; some are Boeotian, some from Peloponnesus, some
from the Islands. But the great majority are of Athe-
nian origin. Of the longer inscriptions a large proportion
are from the tombs of foreign residents at Athens.
I propose to consider in the case of these grave-stones
two points, firstly, the reliefs which they bear ;* secondly,
the inscriptions engraven on them.
Amongst the earliest of Athenian sepulchral monu-
ments is the often-cited stele of Aristion. It represents
the deceased on a scale somewhat larger than life, as
standing clad in full armour, spear in hand: The ground
of the relief is red ; traces of colour may be seen, or
rather might at the time of discovery be seen, on many
parts of the body, and holes may be observed made by
the nails which fastened armour of bronze on to the
body. The design or idea of this slab differs not much
* On the subject of these reliefs there is no complete work, but
several monographs, the best of which are those of Friedlaender and
Pervanoglu, and a chapter by Furtwaengler in his Collection
Sabouroff. Recently has appeared the earlier part of the Co?pus
of Attic Sepulchral Reliefs, edited for the German Institute by
Dr. Conze.
New Cliapters in Greek History. [Chap. X.
served them almost uninjured until one day when they
were once more brought to the light by a French
archaeological expedition in the year 1863. The sudden-
ness with which these monuments were overwhelmed is
indicated by the fact that some of them were and
remain unfinished ; the completeness of their disappear-
ance is proved by the silence of Pausanias the traveller,
who, passing through all quarters of Athens in the time
of the Antonines, would appear to have seen no trace
of them. All of the monuments in this group are
of course indubitably Athenian, and furnish the best
materials for the present paper. Of the stones in the
museum it is sometimes impossible to trace the finding
spot; some are Boeotian, some from Peloponnesus, some
from the Islands. But the great majority are of Athe-
nian origin. Of the longer inscriptions a large proportion
are from the tombs of foreign residents at Athens.
I propose to consider in the case of these grave-stones
two points, firstly, the reliefs which they bear ;* secondly,
the inscriptions engraven on them.
Amongst the earliest of Athenian sepulchral monu-
ments is the often-cited stele of Aristion. It represents
the deceased on a scale somewhat larger than life, as
standing clad in full armour, spear in hand: The ground
of the relief is red ; traces of colour may be seen, or
rather might at the time of discovery be seen, on many
parts of the body, and holes may be observed made by
the nails which fastened armour of bronze on to the
body. The design or idea of this slab differs not much
* On the subject of these reliefs there is no complete work, but
several monographs, the best of which are those of Friedlaender and
Pervanoglu, and a chapter by Furtwaengler in his Collection
Sabouroff. Recently has appeared the earlier part of the Co?pus
of Attic Sepulchral Reliefs, edited for the German Institute by
Dr. Conze.