Monumental Tombs of the Hellenistic Age: A Study of Selected Tombs from the Pre-Classical to the Early Imperial Era

500 Pages·1990·9.72 MB·English

by  Janos Fedak

Monumental Tombs of the Hellenistic Age
Most of the grandiose and often ostentatious Hellenistic monumental tombs
were powerfully expressive and symbolic structures built to glorify and
display the wealth and power of kings, queens, nobles, and other persons
of influence. They served as shrines for the worship of the heroized dead
and were inventive in design and form, created to demonstrate the achieve-
ments of the dead in a public architecture of permanence and durability.
This well-illustrated monograph brings together previously scattered
information about Hellenistic funerary monuments and the author's own
research on the exterior architecture of these impressive structures in the
Mediterranean region. The study first establishes a typology of main tomb
forms and then considers some of the predecessors of the Hellenistic tombs.
Attention is given to the variations of form that resulted from differences
in climate, building materials, and social and religious customs. Adherence
to strong local traditional practice in building is visible in each region, but
new ideas and novel funerary architecture were welcomed everywhere in
the Hellenistic world. Fedak's wide-ranging approach makes the work of
interest not only to specialists in Greek architecture and archaeologists, but
also to students of classical studies and historians of art and religion.
JANOS FEDAK is assistant professor in the Department of Fine Arts, University
of Prince Edward Island.
PHOENIX
Journal of the Classical Association of Canada
Revue de la Societe canadienne des etudes classiques
Supplementary Volume xxvn
Tome supplemental xxvn
JANOS FEDAK
Monumental Tombs of the
Hellenistic Age:
A Study of Selected Tombs
from the Pre-Classical
to the Early Imperial Era
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto Buffalo London
www.utppublishing.com
© University of Toronto Press 1990
Toronto Buffalo London
Printed in Canada
ISBN 0-8020-2694-X
Printed on acid-free paper
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Fedak, Janos, 1946-
Monumental tombs of the Hellenistic age
(Phoenix, Supplementary volume ; 27 = Phoenix.
Tome supplementaire, ISSN 0079-1784 ; 27)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8O2O-2694-X
i. Tombs - Mediterranean Region. 2. Architecture,
Hellenistic -Mediterranean Region. 3. Mediterranean
Region — Antiquities. I. Title. II. Series: Phoenix.
Supplementary volume (Toronto, Ont.) ; 27.
NA6i39-F42 1990 726'.8o'9i822 090-093318-6
This book has been published with
the help of a grant from
the Canadian Federation for the Humanities,
using funds provided by the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada.
TO THE MEMORY OF MY PARENTS, ANNA AND JANOS
This page intentionally left blank
CONTENTS
PREFACE XI
Introduction 3
MAPS 7
1 Types of Monumental Tombs and Terminology 15
2 Monumental Tombs prior to the Fourth Century 29
i Built Tombs 29
A Use of Pyramidal Structures in Tombs before the
Mausoleum at Haliharnassos 32
B Other Types of Built Monumental Tombs 37
ii Rock-cut Tombs 46
in Tumuli and Underground Tombs 56
3 The Development of Tomb Structures in Asia Minor from the
Nereid Monument Onwards 65
i The Nereid Monument at Xanthos 66
ii Heroon at Limyra 68
in The Mausoleum at Halikarnassos 71
iv The Large Tomb at Labraynda 74
v Tombs at Knidos, Alinda, and Antiphellos 76
vi The Belevi Mausoleum near Ephesos 79
vn The Charmyleion on the Island of Kos 82
vin Tombs at Lindos and Rhodini 83
viii Contents
ix Ta Marmara near Didyma 87
x Diocaesarea Tower Tomb 88
xi Heroa at G6lba§i-Trysa, Miletos, and Termessos 88
xii Simple Fagade-Tombs 96
4 The Development of Hellenistic Monumental Tombs outside
Asia Minor 102
i Funerary Monuments in Greece 103
A The Tomb at Kallithea 103
B The Tombs in Arkadia 104
c The Tombs in Macedonia 104
ii Funerary Monuments in Albania (ancient Illyria) 109
m Funerary Monuments in Italy 113
A The Tombs at Canosa 113
B The Tombs at Sovana ana Norchia 115
c Middle and Later Republican Tombs in Italy:
Some Hellenistic Influences 122
D The 'Tomb of Theron' in Sicily 125
E The Tomb of M. Vergilius Eurysaces in Rome 126
rv Funerary Monuments in North Africa 126
A Tombs at Cyrene and Ptolemais 126
B Tombs in Alexandria 129
c Taposiris Magna, Lighthouse Tomb 133
D Tombs in Northwestern Africa 133
v Funerary Monuments of the Near and Middle East 140
A Tombs in Jerusalem 140
B The Tomb of Hamrath, Suweida (Syria), and the
Monuments at Hermel and Kalat Fakra (Lebanon) 148
c Tombs of the Nabataeans 150
vi The Temple Tomb at Ai-Khanoum (Afghanistan) 158
Conclusions 160
Appendix i: Technical Aspects of Some of the Roof Constructions
of Tumulus Tombs 165
i True Arches and Vaults 166
ii Corbel Vaulting 167
m 'Lantern/ or 'Diagonal,' Roofing 170
ix Contents
Appendix 2: The Relationship of Monumental Sarcophagi, Tholoi,
and Other Buildings to Monumental Tombs 173
I Monumental Sarcophagi 173
ii Tholoi 180
in Choragic Monuments and Monumental Altars 181
NOTES 183
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 239
ILLUSTRATIONS 249
INDEX 483