"Επιστήματα" του τάφου του Μενύλλου Αλαίεως : η βάση ΕΜ 13451
Part of : Αρχαιολογικά ανάλεκτα εξ Αθηνών ; Vol.X, No.2, 1977, pages 226-241
Issue:
Pages:
226-241
Parallel Title:
Επιστήματα from the tomb of Menyllos Halaieus : base EM 13451
Section Title:
Σύμμεικτα
Author:
Abstract:
A circular base of blue-grey marble (fig. la ), once in the private collection of Mrs. Anna Methenites, was brought in March 1974 from the “ Ephoreia of Antiquaries and Private Collections” to the Epigraphical Museum. The base EM 13451 is published here with the kind permission of the Ephor A. Andriome- nou.Dimensions : Height 0.265 m. ; diameter 0.54 m. ; height of letters 0.02 - 0.03 m. There are mouldings around the top and bottom edges ; on the top there is a circular cutting (0.15 m. in diameter ) preserving the lower part of the foot of a white marble vase (fig. Iß). There is no information about the provenance of the base.Among the rare examples of round bases designed to support marble vases ( see supra n. 2 ) the base with the le- kythos of Aristomache, found in situ in the Kerameikos and dating to about 338 B.C., is distinguished by the combination a blue-grey marble base with a white marble vase ( see supra nn. 3 - 4 ). With the publication of the base EM 13451, we now have another example of a similar base for a funeral vase of white marble.The inscription is written in large letters which are carefully and symmetrically spaced ( with deeper carving at the end of the strokes ), designed to be seen from afar. According to the letter forms it should be dated after the middle of the 4th century B.C.ΜένυλλοςΆστυφίλουΆλαιεύςLine 1 : Μένυλλος The name is well known in Attica. IG I2, 26 1.3 ( EM 6807 ). H. Bengtson, Staatsverträge II ( 1962 ), p. 45 - 46, n. 142 ; SEG XXII ( 1967 ), 2. Here we are dealing with Menyllos ( J. Kirchner, PA 10062 ), son of Astyphilos, the son of Philagros. A dedicatory inscription ( IG II2,2820, lines 5 and 22 ) records both father and son as amongst the demesmen chosen to supervise the making and dedication of a statue of Aphrodite set up by the deme of Halaieis ; he is mentioned together with Astyphilos in curse tablets ( R. Wünsch, Defixionum Tabellae ( 1897 ), nn. 47 - 50. J. Kirchner, PA 2662 - 2664. Stemma PA 9110 ).Line 2. Άστυφίλου with the developed ending -ου instead of -o ( see supra n. 5 ). Astyphilos, son of Philagros, is known to have been active in the first half of the 4th c. B.C. as prytanis of the tribe Kekropis ( IG II2, 1743, 1.7 ) and orator of the decree of the deme of Halai ( IG II2, 1175, 1.7 ). It is also possible, thatAstyphilos introduced the decree IG II2, 42 on the alliance with Methymna in 378/7 B.C. ( see supra n. 6 ).Line 3. Άλαιεύς. Menyllos’ family came from Halai Aixonides, as we know from decrees of the deme ( see supra n. 7 )Menyllos himself, the son of Astyphilos, has already been known from other “ έπιστήματα ”, i.e. grave monuments from the same tomb ( see supra n. 8 ) ; four marble lekythoi with neck and foot missing which are virtually identical, show Menyllos shaking hands in the gesture of “ dexiosis ” with his father Astyphilos ; both are identified by inscriptions ( height of the letters 0.005 - 0.006 m. ) placed over their figures. The first two lekythoi, formerly in the The- seion Θ. 170 and Θ. 168, are now in the National Museum (figs. 2a and β ).a) IG II2, 5497. Height 0.72 m. ; width at the shoulder 0.34 m. This is the only one which spreads slightly above the foot and the representation here is on a larger scale than that of the other three lekythoi ( see supra n. 9 ). Menyllos, bearded, wears a chlamys and over it a cloak which conceals his left hand ( as on the third lekythos ), with which he is controlling the horse ; he is walking to the right in order to bid his father farewell.b) IG II2, 5498. A noticeably smaller lekythos ( height 0.55 m. ) has the same representation less skillfully rendered ( it looks like a copy of the first lekythos ), but here special care has been bestowed on the rendering of the hands which are clearly distinguished ( see supra n. 10 ).N. Kyparissis publishing these two lekythoi (Arch. Deltion 11, 1927 - 28 ( 1930 ), ρρ. 44 - 47 ) reported that IG IP, 5497 and 5498 had been confiscated from the garden of a house on Hadzichri- stou street, together with lekythos Θ. 171 = IG II2, 11961 which has the inscription Leon son of Philagros, Leon son of Autokrates ; he expressed also the suspicion that all the antiquities confiscated there came out of an illegal excavation in the region of Hagios Nikolaos at Vou- la, because another lekythos Θ. 153 =IG II2, 11962, similar to Θ. 171 = IG II2, 11961 had been found there. It was well known, indeed, that often a pair of marble lekythoi, similar and with identical names, came out in the same place and N. Kyparissis emphasized the similarity ( p. 45 ) of several pairs of virtually identical lekythoi ( the ur. scribed Θ. 165 with Θ. 166 and the noT 7 published as IG II2, 11961 -2, a well as the IG II2, 5497 - 8 ), but w Lout saying anything on the relationship between Leon, son of Philagros and Me- nyllos, son of Astyphilos.The prosopographical data prove that Kyparissis has hit the mark ; Menyllos, the son of Astyphilos Halaieus, and Leon, son of Philagros, belong to the same family from the deme of Halai Aixonides which is thought to extend all the way to Voula.c) IG II2, 5499, now in the Ny- Garlsberg Glyptothek in Copenhagen, n° 2786. Obtained from Paris in 1929. As in the case of the first two lekythoi, the neck and the foot of the vase are missing. The preserved height of 0.63 m. and the scale of the relief are close to the measurements of the second leky- thos ( fi g. 2y ). F. Poulsen mistakenly reported the Kerameikos as the provenance, even though he referred to Kyparissis publication ( see supra n. 13 ).d) The fourth lekythos was seen in a dealer’s shop by W. Peek who published it in Ath. Mitt. 67 ( 1942 ), pp. 91 - 92, and followed Poulsen in naming the Kerameikos as the provenance. Preserved height 0.55 m. Astyphilos’ name is not preserved above the damaged second figure. Unfortunately we have not ascertained the whereabouts of this lekythos.In studying the four published lekythoi of Menyllos together with the base EM 13451 carrying his name, it is hard to decide what was their original arrangement. It may be that the base carried one of the preserved lekythoi or another larger vase, perhaps at the most prominent corner of the tomb. Comparisons made at Kerameikos with the Aristo- mache lekythos (see.supra nn. 3 and 4),which has an estimated height of two meters, suggested for the Menyllos’ base a slim vase more than 1.50 m. high. Although larger and with bigger letters the base of the Aristomache lekythos resembles closely the Menyllos base, with its mouldings above and below and in the contrast of dark and white marble (see above p. 235 ).Putting together the prosopographical data for Menyllos and his father ( see supra nn. 6 and 18 ) with what we know about the shape and the style of the reliefs of the three lekythoi accessible to us, we reach the conclusion that Menyllos’ five grave monuments were set up during the decade 340 - 330 B.C.In the same grave plot, at Voula, may once have been also erected the two lekythoi IG II2, 11961-2 (now in the National Archaeological Museum ) for Leon, son of Philagros, and Leon, son of Autokrates, although the demotic Halaieus is not written on.The first name is certainly attested in the Astyphilos’ family as probably the Astyphilos’ brother IG II2, 1743,11. 6- 7; ( see supra n. 18 ). Also it is mentioned ( above p. 235 ), that the lekythos IG II2, 11962 was found near Hagios Nicolaos at Voula and this fact constituted the main argument of N. Kyparissis that all the antiquities confiscated by him at Hatzi- christou Street, i.e. in Athens, were found at Voula.So the two figures engraved on each lekythos IG II2, 11961-2 could be: Leon of Philagros the grandfather and Leon, son of Autocrates, the grandson (fig. 3a and ß ) and this constitutes a new element for the stemma of this family from Halai Aixonides deme which belongs to the Kekropis tribe.Finally it is to be noted that Professor A. E. Raubitschek suggested to me ( after I had handed in this article in January 1977 ) as quite probable the relationship of this family of Halai Aixonides with Διοκλής 'Αλαιεύς Κεκροπίας,named on the red-figured bell-krater from Vari in the Robinson Collection. This Diokles, the first member of the family known to us, could be Philagros’ father and grandfather of Astyphilos. So the stemma PA 9110 could be as follows. I take the opportunity here of announcingthe identification of the well known stele with loutrophoros between a pair of lekythoi at the lower part(fig. 4a,b) found at Peiraeus and published several times ( see supra n. 22 ). Now the grave stele is in the Char. Po- tamianos private Collection.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Notes:
Περιέχει εικόνες
