Funerary Stela of Demokleides

Funerary Stela of Demokleides
Funerary Stela of Demokleides
Material	Marble
Height	0.70 m
Width	0.45 m
Period/culture	400-375 BC
Discovered	1881; Piraeus
Present location	National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
Identification	Sculpture Collection inv. no 752
Culture	Classical Athens

The Funerary Stela of Demokleides (NAMA 752) is a funerary monument on display at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.^[1]

Displayed as part of the museum's sculpture collection, the stela is unique amongst many stelai and gravestones contemporary to Classical Athens, for its naval iconography, and its usage of minimalism.^[1]^[2]

Description

The stela was discovered in 1881 in the port city of Piraeus, and depicts a young hoplite, in chiton sitting on his chlamys, with his shield, weaponry, and Corinthian helmet behind him.^[1]^[2] The text above the young man denotes him as Demokleides, son of Demetrios. ^[1]

Demokleides is seen in a pensive position, right arm resting on his knees, overlooking the vast emptiness that is the sea, on the ram of a trireme. The stela was likely once painted blue as well.^[1]^[3]

The stela was dedicated by his family, mourning the loss of him and his body, presumably lost at sea, killed in action in at the Battle of Nemea in 394 BC, and as a hoplite, the graves are observed to be of higher status, with more attention paid by the families of the deceased.^[1]^[2]^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "When the sea turns into a vast watery grave …". National Archaeological Museum. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
^ ^a ^b ^c Robson, Joseph (December 2018). "For Oikos and Polis: Classical Attic Grave Reliefs as Family Monuments A Prosopographic Study of 14 Plaster Casts of Grave Reliefs from The Cast Gallery of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford". International Journal of Student Research in Archaeology (4): 35. Retrieved 27 July 2023 – via Academia.edu.
^ "Grave Stele Of Demokleides". Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
^ Wassermann, Felix (1969). "Serenity and Repose: Life and Death on Attic Tombstones". The Classical Journal. 64 (5): 193–202 – via JSTOR.

[:0-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "When the sea turns into a vast watery grave …". National Archaeological Museum. Retrieved 2023-07-27.

[:1-2] Robson, Joseph (December 2018). "For Oikos and Polis: Classical Attic Grave Reliefs as Family Monuments A Prosopographic Study of 14 Plaster Casts of Grave Reliefs from The Cast Gallery of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford". International Journal of Student Research in Archaeology (4): 35. Retrieved 27 July 2023 – via Academia.edu.

[3] "Grave Stele Of Demokleides". Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Retrieved 2023-07-27.

[4] Wassermann, Felix (1969). "Serenity and Repose: Life and Death on Attic Tombstones". The Classical Journal. 64 (5): 193–202 – via JSTOR.

[1]

v t e Major exhibits at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Neolithic	Karditsa Thinker
Cycladic	Frying pan 1 Frying pan 2 Spool-shaped pyxis
Minoan	Akrotiri Boxer Fresco Wall Paintings of Thera
Mycenaean	Grave stelai of Mycenae Mask of Agamemnon Octopus amphora Nestor's Cup Theseus Ring Warrior Vase
Archaic	Apollo Omphalos Artemision Bronze Daidala Dedication of Nikandre Dipylon Amphora Dipylon inscription Grave stele 7901 Horses Amphora Kroisos Kouros Lemnos stele Merenda Kouros Phrasikleia Kore Pitsa panels Rider Amphora Sounion Kouros Stele of Aristion
Classical	Antikythera Ephebe Funerary naiskos of Aristonautes Funerary Stela of Demokleides Grave Stele of Hegeso Great Eleusinian Relief Mantineia Base Marathon Boy Myrtis Nike of Epidaurus Ninnion Tablet Xenokrateia Relief
Hellenistic	Antikythera mechanism Aristonoe Group of Aphrodite, Pan and Eros Heracles of Antikythera Jockey of Artemision Lycosoura Artemis Lycosoura Demeter Mithridates relief Nike of Megara Poseidon of Melos Themis of Rhamnous
Roman	Aphrodite of Syracuse Armed Aphrodite Atalante Hermes Bust of Antinous Diadumenos Hermes Criophorus Hermes of Aegium Lenormant Athena Varvakeion Athena