Getty Museum

Grave Stele of Thrasynos

Date

about 375 B.C.

Medium

Marble

Culture

Greek

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

A family group of mother, father, and son carved in a sunken relief panel decorates this Athenian grave stele or tombstone. The inscription above the relief names all the figures. Archilla, the mother, sits on a stool and shakes hands with her deceased son, Thrasynos, while Thrasonides, the father, stands in the background. The sacrificial knife in his hand and his special sleeveless garment indicate his status as a priest. In ancient Athens family connections were very important in all aspects of life, and the imagery of funerary monuments emphasized family unity even after death. The handshake was a popular gesture on Classical Greek stelai, symbolizing the continuing connection between the deceased and the living family members left behind.

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