AIUK11 no. 14bis Funerary stele for Epiktesis, daughter of Onasos of Kytherros

Funerary stele for Epiktesis, daughter of Onasos of Kytherros

AIUK 11 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) no. 14bis Date: ca. 150-200 AD

Epiktesis daughter of Onasos of Kytherros Relief^[1]

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Greek text

References:

AIUK 11 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) no. 14bis (Translated text) (AIUK) (AIO)

IG II² 9111 (PHI)

Michaelis 639 no. 69

von Moock no. 518

AIUK 15 (Miscellaneous) pp. 47-51

Translation by: Peter Liddel, Polly Low

AIO Images: 1 2

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Funerary

Findspot: Unknown (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford AN1947.272)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This monument belongs to the second, classicising period of Attic funerary stelai with figurative relief sculpture, which ran from the first century BC through to the third century AD. It depicts an adult female in high relief, labelled by the inscription as Epiktesis, accompanied by a smaller female, an enslaved attendant. The iconography is characteristic of Athenian funerary stelai of the Roman era: it becomes much more common in this period for figures to be presented as facing outwards, engaging with the viewer (rather than, as was more common in Classical-era monuments, engaging with other figures within the relief). Epiktesis’ style of dress is also characteristic for this period: she wears a chiton and himation, as is usual for mature women; the himation is wrapped over both of her shoulders.

The iconography of the monument projects an image of respectability and high status. The enslaved figure carries a box, perhaps for jewellery; this is probably intended to convey an impression of wealth. It is notable that Epiktesis is the only principal on this monument and is designated with reference to her father rather than her husband; but it is unclear whether we should be justified as inferring that she was unmarried at the time of death.

Epiktesis is a well-attested name at Athens, and becomes more common in the imperial period. If, as is likely here, "of Kytherros" is a demotic rather than the ethnic of the island of Kythera, Epiktesis might be be a relative (perhaps the mother) of the ephebe Onasos, son of Antiochos of Kytherros, of 201/2 AD (IG II² 2193, line 57). Onasos is a relatively common name in Athens, but this is the only Onasos securely connected with the deme Kytherros. This deme was located on the east coast of Attica (close to the current Athens airport), but the connection between deme affiliation and residence was not strong by this period, and we cannot therefore use the demotic as an indicator of the original location or findspot of this monument.

This monument had found its way from Greece to the area of Venice by the end of the sixteenth century, where it formed part of the Grimani family's collection of antiquities. From Venice, it is likely to have moved, along with other pieces of the Grimani Museum, to the Fejéváry and Ferenc Pulszky collection in Budapest; thence it came into the possession of Sir Francis Cook (1817-1901), a wealthy textile magnate, who assembled a significant collection of antiquities at Doughty House in Richmond, Surrey. His antiquities were sold in 1947: one Attic inscription (the funerary stele of Timarete) was purchased by the British Museum (see AIUK 4.6 (BM, Funerary) p. 16 and no. 17); this inscription was purchased by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, at the same sale.

For more detailed discussion of this inscription see AIUK 15 (Miscellaneous), Add. and Corr. pp. 47-51 = AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 14bis.

Added: 30 Sep 2022
Updated: 14 Apr 2023
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