DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9187#0229
176
FAMILY GROUPS
during which process she steadies herself by resting a hand
on the girl's head. In front is a friend who bears a box of
jewelry. The fair Ameinocleia is evidently setting out on
a journey. And it seems evident that there is an allusion to a
solemn departure on a journey whence none returns, although
in the details of the representation we find no clear suggestion
of death. That is unnecessary when the whole group is itself
an allusion to it.
Some writers have doubted whether in the scenes of
hand-taking and of adornment there be anything beyond an
ordinary scene of daily life, a domestic interior. The stele of
Ameinocleia furnishes reasons for declining to agree with them.
As we have seen, in the hand-taking scenes more emotion is
commonly visible than an ordinary family scene would warrant.
And reflection soon shows that even in scenes of adornment
the notion of parting is in place. The Greek lady especially
adorned herself when she was preparing to go abroad, to take
part, maybe, in some procession in honour of the gods or some
marriage festivity. Thus the notions of adornment and of
leaving home are naturally connected.
No doubt in these scenes there may be traced another
element, one derived from the custom of placing ornaments in
the tomb and bringing offerings to the dead. We can trace
this influence by means of the paintings of the white lekythi
of which we have spoken in Chapter II. On these vases are
depicted innumerable scenes from the cult of the dead, among
which we often find ladies seated and attendants brineine
offerings. We engrave an example 1 (Fig. 68). Here the lady
who is seated on the steps of the tomb seems to be the person
for whom that tomb was made. She holds on her knees a box
of jewelry; on either side of the tomb stands a maid-servant.
In other instances - the maids bring unguent-vases, fans, and
1 Benndorf, Gricch. und Sicil. Vasenbilder, pi. xv.
2 e.g. Benndorf, op. cit. pi. xxv; Dumont, Ce'r. de la Grecepropre, i. pi. xxv.
FAMILY GROUPS
during which process she steadies herself by resting a hand
on the girl's head. In front is a friend who bears a box of
jewelry. The fair Ameinocleia is evidently setting out on
a journey. And it seems evident that there is an allusion to a
solemn departure on a journey whence none returns, although
in the details of the representation we find no clear suggestion
of death. That is unnecessary when the whole group is itself
an allusion to it.
Some writers have doubted whether in the scenes of
hand-taking and of adornment there be anything beyond an
ordinary scene of daily life, a domestic interior. The stele of
Ameinocleia furnishes reasons for declining to agree with them.
As we have seen, in the hand-taking scenes more emotion is
commonly visible than an ordinary family scene would warrant.
And reflection soon shows that even in scenes of adornment
the notion of parting is in place. The Greek lady especially
adorned herself when she was preparing to go abroad, to take
part, maybe, in some procession in honour of the gods or some
marriage festivity. Thus the notions of adornment and of
leaving home are naturally connected.
No doubt in these scenes there may be traced another
element, one derived from the custom of placing ornaments in
the tomb and bringing offerings to the dead. We can trace
this influence by means of the paintings of the white lekythi
of which we have spoken in Chapter II. On these vases are
depicted innumerable scenes from the cult of the dead, among
which we often find ladies seated and attendants brineine
offerings. We engrave an example 1 (Fig. 68). Here the lady
who is seated on the steps of the tomb seems to be the person
for whom that tomb was made. She holds on her knees a box
of jewelry; on either side of the tomb stands a maid-servant.
In other instances - the maids bring unguent-vases, fans, and
1 Benndorf, Gricch. und Sicil. Vasenbilder, pi. xv.
2 e.g. Benndorf, op. cit. pi. xxv; Dumont, Ce'r. de la Grecepropre, i. pi. xxv.