Grave Stele of Mynnia

about 370 B.C.

Medium

Marble

Dimensions

97.8 × 43.8 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-226268

The Greek inscription at the top of this funerary monument reads: "Here lies Mynnia, to the sorrow of her mother, Euphrosyne." It goes on to identify the figures depicted in the carving as “Artemisias, Mynnia, [daughters] of Euteles.” Euphrosyne sits on a stool with her cloak pulled up over her bowed head. Mynnia stands to the right, clasping her grieving mother’s hand, while her sister, Artemisias, kneels below. Mynnia wears her hair a long braid hanging down her back, a style indicating that she died before marriage. The handshake was a frequent gesture on Greek grave monuments of the 300s B.C., emphasizing family unity even after death. Originally, the inscription named only Euphrosyne and Mynnia. The names of Artemisias and Euteles, the girls' father, were added at a later date. Perhaps Artemisias died after the relief was carved, and her name was added so that the stele could honor both daughters.