Marble grave relief with a funerary banquet and departing warriors

2nd century BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 162

Two brothers, sons of Apollonios, are represented in both reliefs, and their names are inscribed below. They are shown in a manner associated with hero worship. The ancient Greeks devised a category of powerful demigods known as heroes, who were not unlike Christian saints. Local cults flourished at the tombs of certain deceased men who were thought to exert power for good or evil from their grave. During the Classical period, votive reliefs dedicated to such heroes often represented them on horseback or dining at a funerary banquet. The reliefs on this grave monument drew on such imagery and thus enhanced the memory of the deceased brothers.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Marble grave relief with a funerary banquet and departing warriors
Period: Hellenistic
Date: 2nd century BCE
Culture: Greek
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: H. 43 1/4 in. (109.9 cm)
Classification: Stone Sculpture
Credit Line: The Bothmer Purchase Fund, 1992
Object Number: 1992.11.58
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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