DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4856#0100
94
Immediately below the inscription is a painted figure of an armed warrior, standing with helmet,
cuirass, short chiton and boots. He holds a shield, resting on the ground, with his left hand, and
has a spear against his left shoulder. The details were fairly plain at the time of the discovery, but
only faint traces now remain. Ht. 5 ft. 8 in. ; width, 2 ft. 3 in.
Tomb 52.—Painted stele of a girl, standing, to the front, with head turned to the left. She
wears a diadem, a yellow and purple chiton, and a white himation. Ht. 3 ft. 2-\ in.
This tomb had been used at more than one time (cf. p. 118). The stele was not erect, but
was found lying on its side forming an edge to one of the beds on which the corpses were laid.
It is, therefore, evident that it is older than the later date of the tomb deposits. On the other
hand, as it was not originally designed for use in the cave, it may have been brought into it at
the time when the grave was last arranged ; and therefore it does not follow that the stele is of the
early date of the dolphin vase, etc.
Tomb 212 (Shaft).—Lower part of a painted stele. A woman is seated on a chair, half turned
to left. She wears a purple dress, with short sleeves, and a large white mantle over her legs. On
the left is the lower part of a standing female figure, perhaps an attendant, who seems to be placing
a hand on the arm of the mistress. She wears a yellow and purple dress, with perhaps a white
mantle. The chair has a turned leg, and a purple seat, with a blue cushion. Beneath it is an
overturned wicker basket. Ht. 2 ft. ; width, 1 ft. 6 in.
Tomb 257 (Surface).—Stele, surmounted by a small pediment ; upon it a boy with a pigeon.
He stands, half turned to the right, with head slightly bent, but looking up. He wears a red tunic
with short sleeves, and a white mantle, which passes over the left shoulder, round the back and legs,
and about the left arm. A pigeon stands on his extended left hand. The figure is drawn in dark
outlines, filled in with flesh colour, and the mantle is drawn in the same way. Ht. 2 ft. 3 in. ;
width, 1 ft. \ in.
Tomb 301.—Upper part of a stele, surmounted by a pediment and acroterion. The surface is
much injured in parts by flaws in the stone. A woman is seated to the right, wearing a purple
dress, with a veil over her head. She looks towards a male figure who stands before her. He
wears a heavy cuirass, and a small yellow chlamys fastened on his right shoulder. He has a bare
head, with thick black hair. The figures probably clasped hands. Ht. 3 ft. ; width, 2 ft. 2 in.
The excavations also yielded the following examples, now in the British Museum ' :—
Limestone stele, the pediment broken away. A female figure is seated to the right,
holding a child on her knees. The subject can now hardly be made out. Ht. 2 ft. 1 in. ;
width, 1 ft. 3 in.
Fragment of a limestone stele, with a painted red sash, knotted about the middle.
Limestone stele, with a small pediment and acroteria, having a painted red sash knotted about
the middle. Below the pediment is a painted egg and tongue moulding. Ht. 2 ft. 1 in. ; width, 11 in.
Limestone stele, with a small pediment and acroteria, painted with a scarlet sash. Ht. 3 ft. ;
width, 1 ft.
Fragment of a limestone stele, with a knotted sash, painted in red, and remains of an incised
inscription :—
..... THKONTAPXOS
Trep^TT] Kovrap^o 9.
Ht. 2 ft. 2>i m-; width, 1 ft. 1} in.
The painted stelae, which are such a characteristic product of the excavations at Amathus, were
for the most part found in the soil, and therefore unaccompanied by objects that helped to supply a
date. The figure of a girl described above, found in tomb 52, had been placed in a tomb, repeatedly
used, in such a way as to show that its date was intermediate between the earliest and latest
deposits in the cave. The seated figure with the calathos was found in the shaft of a Roman
tomb (212), and was no doubt considerably older. The boy with the pigeon, though a tomb number
(257) was assigned to the relief, was found in the soil near the surface, and the woman with a child
(No. 301) was found in the same way.
The earliest of the series is probably the stele of Nicogenes, which from the form of the letters,
with the apices partially developed, may probably be assigned to the end of the 4th or beginning
of the 3rd century b.c.
For the series of painted stelae assigned to the Cyprus Museum, see Myres, Catalogue of the Cyprus Museum, Nos. 5957-5963.
Immediately below the inscription is a painted figure of an armed warrior, standing with helmet,
cuirass, short chiton and boots. He holds a shield, resting on the ground, with his left hand, and
has a spear against his left shoulder. The details were fairly plain at the time of the discovery, but
only faint traces now remain. Ht. 5 ft. 8 in. ; width, 2 ft. 3 in.
Tomb 52.—Painted stele of a girl, standing, to the front, with head turned to the left. She
wears a diadem, a yellow and purple chiton, and a white himation. Ht. 3 ft. 2-\ in.
This tomb had been used at more than one time (cf. p. 118). The stele was not erect, but
was found lying on its side forming an edge to one of the beds on which the corpses were laid.
It is, therefore, evident that it is older than the later date of the tomb deposits. On the other
hand, as it was not originally designed for use in the cave, it may have been brought into it at
the time when the grave was last arranged ; and therefore it does not follow that the stele is of the
early date of the dolphin vase, etc.
Tomb 212 (Shaft).—Lower part of a painted stele. A woman is seated on a chair, half turned
to left. She wears a purple dress, with short sleeves, and a large white mantle over her legs. On
the left is the lower part of a standing female figure, perhaps an attendant, who seems to be placing
a hand on the arm of the mistress. She wears a yellow and purple dress, with perhaps a white
mantle. The chair has a turned leg, and a purple seat, with a blue cushion. Beneath it is an
overturned wicker basket. Ht. 2 ft. ; width, 1 ft. 6 in.
Tomb 257 (Surface).—Stele, surmounted by a small pediment ; upon it a boy with a pigeon.
He stands, half turned to the right, with head slightly bent, but looking up. He wears a red tunic
with short sleeves, and a white mantle, which passes over the left shoulder, round the back and legs,
and about the left arm. A pigeon stands on his extended left hand. The figure is drawn in dark
outlines, filled in with flesh colour, and the mantle is drawn in the same way. Ht. 2 ft. 3 in. ;
width, 1 ft. \ in.
Tomb 301.—Upper part of a stele, surmounted by a pediment and acroterion. The surface is
much injured in parts by flaws in the stone. A woman is seated to the right, wearing a purple
dress, with a veil over her head. She looks towards a male figure who stands before her. He
wears a heavy cuirass, and a small yellow chlamys fastened on his right shoulder. He has a bare
head, with thick black hair. The figures probably clasped hands. Ht. 3 ft. ; width, 2 ft. 2 in.
The excavations also yielded the following examples, now in the British Museum ' :—
Limestone stele, the pediment broken away. A female figure is seated to the right,
holding a child on her knees. The subject can now hardly be made out. Ht. 2 ft. 1 in. ;
width, 1 ft. 3 in.
Fragment of a limestone stele, with a painted red sash, knotted about the middle.
Limestone stele, with a small pediment and acroteria, having a painted red sash knotted about
the middle. Below the pediment is a painted egg and tongue moulding. Ht. 2 ft. 1 in. ; width, 11 in.
Limestone stele, with a small pediment and acroteria, painted with a scarlet sash. Ht. 3 ft. ;
width, 1 ft.
Fragment of a limestone stele, with a knotted sash, painted in red, and remains of an incised
inscription :—
..... THKONTAPXOS
Trep^TT] Kovrap^o 9.
Ht. 2 ft. 2>i m-; width, 1 ft. 1} in.
The painted stelae, which are such a characteristic product of the excavations at Amathus, were
for the most part found in the soil, and therefore unaccompanied by objects that helped to supply a
date. The figure of a girl described above, found in tomb 52, had been placed in a tomb, repeatedly
used, in such a way as to show that its date was intermediate between the earliest and latest
deposits in the cave. The seated figure with the calathos was found in the shaft of a Roman
tomb (212), and was no doubt considerably older. The boy with the pigeon, though a tomb number
(257) was assigned to the relief, was found in the soil near the surface, and the woman with a child
(No. 301) was found in the same way.
The earliest of the series is probably the stele of Nicogenes, which from the form of the letters,
with the apices partially developed, may probably be assigned to the end of the 4th or beginning
of the 3rd century b.c.
For the series of painted stelae assigned to the Cyprus Museum, see Myres, Catalogue of the Cyprus Museum, Nos. 5957-5963.