DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14547#0038
of the Spartans by name; and by a fortunate chance two of
these appear on a marble block discovered in 1930. It be-
longs to the cornice of a fine large tomb, 11 m 40 in length,
built of ashlar blocks, on the south side of the Dromos. Within
it thirteen skeletons lay side by side; three were disposed with
especial care in the middle, evidently the most important per-
sonages, the generals Chairon and Thibrachos and a victor in
the great athletic contest at Olympia, Lakrates. One skeleton
still has a bronze spear-head embedded in his ribs, another
two arrow-heads sticking in one leg. The rest must have died
of flesh wounds.
According to Xenophon, the Tomb of the Spartans stood
"in front of the Gates of the Kerameikos." This choice of
terms may well be due to the marble stelce bearing the inscrip-
tion "Boundary of the Kerameikos," two of which stand imme-
diately outside the Dipylon, a third in front of the tomb just
described, and a fourth beside an unidentified tomb some dis-
tance northward, at the end of our area. This was an impos-
ing monument, with a semicircular centre and two rectangu-
lar wings. The fine ashlar walls were crowned by a great
marble vase of the lekythos type (below P. 28) and two couch-
ant mastiffs of marble. Between this splendid structure and
a group of funeral chambers north of the Spartan tomb, this
side of the Dromos was occupied by pottery sheds and kilns,
an instance of the curious insouciance with which the Greeks
left ordinary private buildings standing close to fine official
monuments.
these appear on a marble block discovered in 1930. It be-
longs to the cornice of a fine large tomb, 11 m 40 in length,
built of ashlar blocks, on the south side of the Dromos. Within
it thirteen skeletons lay side by side; three were disposed with
especial care in the middle, evidently the most important per-
sonages, the generals Chairon and Thibrachos and a victor in
the great athletic contest at Olympia, Lakrates. One skeleton
still has a bronze spear-head embedded in his ribs, another
two arrow-heads sticking in one leg. The rest must have died
of flesh wounds.
According to Xenophon, the Tomb of the Spartans stood
"in front of the Gates of the Kerameikos." This choice of
terms may well be due to the marble stelce bearing the inscrip-
tion "Boundary of the Kerameikos," two of which stand imme-
diately outside the Dipylon, a third in front of the tomb just
described, and a fourth beside an unidentified tomb some dis-
tance northward, at the end of our area. This was an impos-
ing monument, with a semicircular centre and two rectangu-
lar wings. The fine ashlar walls were crowned by a great
marble vase of the lekythos type (below P. 28) and two couch-
ant mastiffs of marble. Between this splendid structure and
a group of funeral chambers north of the Spartan tomb, this
side of the Dromos was occupied by pottery sheds and kilns,
an instance of the curious insouciance with which the Greeks
left ordinary private buildings standing close to fine official
monuments.