DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4266#0051
18 ATHENIAN SEPULCHRAL MARBLES.
noting the place of his birth, or demos, has suffered so much that it has hitherto been undetermin-
able. The state of the inscription on the marble, is as nearly as possible engraved on the plate. It
has been restored by Professor Dobreea almost as follows;
[Eu~\8vKftTo; [0/v]aib$ ? b
"EvSaci's tov 7rat7n; apery; E7r) Tepfj.cc fj.o\6vra
W\iSvxpiTov marplot. x®®v eta^u^e rtk<pu>,
IAWp\ (piXov hcu marp) xaai \y~\vnraii; re moOetvov
aw[(] ff IraipoKnv, avvTpoQov fikuttetf.
and may be thus translated :
u Euthucritus of [Oin]oe?
" Here his native earth covers in the tomb Euthucritus, arriving at the goalc of all worth; beloved of
mother and father, and dear to his sisters and to all the companions of his own age with whom brought up."
The figures represent the youthful tenant of the tomb joining hands with one whom we suppose
his parent, and taking his eternal farewell. The dogs at the feet of the figure may relate to the rank and
worth of the deceased. On monuments of youths of family or merit found in Greece have been observed,
in addition to their name, the term HPX2S, Herod, implying a species of deification in classing them with
those so honoured by antiquity. Telemachus, and other princely personages of the heroic ages, were
often described by the epic poets as accompanied by a couple of houndse. Hence, to convey the same
sentiment without expressing it, the dogs may have been introduced on this marble. Yet, it is to be
observed that these animals were represented by the ancients on many such occasions simply as ob-
jects of domestic affection, as a Roman satirist causes his chief character to say, in giving directions
for his tomb: " I earnestly desire that you may represent a favourite Dog near the feet of my
Statue " f; and again he enjoins " At my right you will place the Statue of my Fortunata, holding a
Dove, and let her lead a Lap-dog by a riband." As the scene of this satire is in Magna Graecia we
may give credit to the monumental custom here pointed at as being of Greek origin. The introduction of
these canine memorials might therefore be accounted for s, without endeavouring to appropriate to
them, any symbolic allusion to the rites of sepulture, on which occasion the ancients often slewh the
dogs and other favourite animals, and even the slaves of the deceased.
Fig. 5.—The subject sculptured on this solid marble vase, would impress us with the highest
esteem for the domestic habits of the ancient Athenians. It is a family picture of great taste of de-
sign, in which the sitting figure portrays a deceased Athenian matron Eucoline, seated with the
dignity of an aspirant after immortality, receiving the Xalpe, or last farewell of an attached family.
Her own parent Chaereas appears anxiously to support her, while her husband, Onesimos, who per-
haps from holding a sword, and wearing a helmet of the sort called pilidion ', might be imagined as
at the moment of his return from some marine expedition, and tending the parting embrace. The child
at her knees invokes the continuance of the protection of a fond mother, and the obsequious nurse with
the swathed infant seems to anticipate the loss her tender charge is about to sustain. Several such
■ i
a Classical Journal, V. 30. p. 124. Ins. Grsec. Vet. H. J. Rose. f V. Iscriz. Ant. Albane, dall' Abate Marini. p. 78.
App. e Bartoli has engraved a monument decorated with figures of
b Boeckh. Corp. Ins. Grsec. Vol. I. p. 518. a Roman husband and wife, hand in hand, and next the inscrip-
c The ancients assimilated life to a race in the Stadium, and tion on the base, a dog is represented, supposed to indicate
it was a custom to place an olive or floral crown on the dead, mutual fidelity. Ant. Sepol. Tav. 89.
as though they had been victors in the course. " Agonem se vitae h Plin. Epist. L. IV. Ep. II. Lucian. de Luctu.
transegisse testatur." Lucian. Hemsterh. I. 156. Alterc. Hadr. ' The helmet represented on this marble resembles that on the
Aug. et Epicteti. Phil. head of Ulysses on coins of Ithaca. V. Essai sur les Medailles de
d Maffei Mus. Veron. P. 49. Marm. Oxon. App. n. VI. Cephalonie et d'lthaque par M. le Col. De Bosset, 1815, PL 5;
Voy. de Spon. Fig. 2.
« Horn. Odyss. B. XI. p. 62. Virg. jEn. 8. 461'.
noting the place of his birth, or demos, has suffered so much that it has hitherto been undetermin-
able. The state of the inscription on the marble, is as nearly as possible engraved on the plate. It
has been restored by Professor Dobreea almost as follows;
[Eu~\8vKftTo; [0/v]aib$ ? b
"EvSaci's tov 7rat7n; apery; E7r) Tepfj.cc fj.o\6vra
W\iSvxpiTov marplot. x®®v eta^u^e rtk<pu>,
IAWp\ (piXov hcu marp) xaai \y~\vnraii; re moOetvov
aw[(] ff IraipoKnv, avvTpoQov fikuttetf.
and may be thus translated :
u Euthucritus of [Oin]oe?
" Here his native earth covers in the tomb Euthucritus, arriving at the goalc of all worth; beloved of
mother and father, and dear to his sisters and to all the companions of his own age with whom brought up."
The figures represent the youthful tenant of the tomb joining hands with one whom we suppose
his parent, and taking his eternal farewell. The dogs at the feet of the figure may relate to the rank and
worth of the deceased. On monuments of youths of family or merit found in Greece have been observed,
in addition to their name, the term HPX2S, Herod, implying a species of deification in classing them with
those so honoured by antiquity. Telemachus, and other princely personages of the heroic ages, were
often described by the epic poets as accompanied by a couple of houndse. Hence, to convey the same
sentiment without expressing it, the dogs may have been introduced on this marble. Yet, it is to be
observed that these animals were represented by the ancients on many such occasions simply as ob-
jects of domestic affection, as a Roman satirist causes his chief character to say, in giving directions
for his tomb: " I earnestly desire that you may represent a favourite Dog near the feet of my
Statue " f; and again he enjoins " At my right you will place the Statue of my Fortunata, holding a
Dove, and let her lead a Lap-dog by a riband." As the scene of this satire is in Magna Graecia we
may give credit to the monumental custom here pointed at as being of Greek origin. The introduction of
these canine memorials might therefore be accounted for s, without endeavouring to appropriate to
them, any symbolic allusion to the rites of sepulture, on which occasion the ancients often slewh the
dogs and other favourite animals, and even the slaves of the deceased.
Fig. 5.—The subject sculptured on this solid marble vase, would impress us with the highest
esteem for the domestic habits of the ancient Athenians. It is a family picture of great taste of de-
sign, in which the sitting figure portrays a deceased Athenian matron Eucoline, seated with the
dignity of an aspirant after immortality, receiving the Xalpe, or last farewell of an attached family.
Her own parent Chaereas appears anxiously to support her, while her husband, Onesimos, who per-
haps from holding a sword, and wearing a helmet of the sort called pilidion ', might be imagined as
at the moment of his return from some marine expedition, and tending the parting embrace. The child
at her knees invokes the continuance of the protection of a fond mother, and the obsequious nurse with
the swathed infant seems to anticipate the loss her tender charge is about to sustain. Several such
■ i
a Classical Journal, V. 30. p. 124. Ins. Grsec. Vet. H. J. Rose. f V. Iscriz. Ant. Albane, dall' Abate Marini. p. 78.
App. e Bartoli has engraved a monument decorated with figures of
b Boeckh. Corp. Ins. Grsec. Vol. I. p. 518. a Roman husband and wife, hand in hand, and next the inscrip-
c The ancients assimilated life to a race in the Stadium, and tion on the base, a dog is represented, supposed to indicate
it was a custom to place an olive or floral crown on the dead, mutual fidelity. Ant. Sepol. Tav. 89.
as though they had been victors in the course. " Agonem se vitae h Plin. Epist. L. IV. Ep. II. Lucian. de Luctu.
transegisse testatur." Lucian. Hemsterh. I. 156. Alterc. Hadr. ' The helmet represented on this marble resembles that on the
Aug. et Epicteti. Phil. head of Ulysses on coins of Ithaca. V. Essai sur les Medailles de
d Maffei Mus. Veron. P. 49. Marm. Oxon. App. n. VI. Cephalonie et d'lthaque par M. le Col. De Bosset, 1815, PL 5;
Voy. de Spon. Fig. 2.
« Horn. Odyss. B. XI. p. 62. Virg. jEn. 8. 461'.