Marble funerary stele

sketchfab

BLMJ 01052 Hellenistic period, circa 200 BCE, in Anatolia A poignant epitaph in Greek names the deceased as "Ariston, son of Apollas, the younger." Ariston is shown sitting thoughtfully on a chair; before him stand a woman and a child, likely his wife and son. A small dog scratches at the drapery of his seat. In the upper right corner, a tree is circled by a snake; they probably symbolize the tree of life and the immortal serpent who sheds its skin to rise again. Two funerary wreaths, representing victory over death and hope for immortality, are carved above the scene.