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