Grave relief of Meneas and Menekrateia

Crowned by an elaborate finial, this relief shows an Athenian married couple. The deceased Menekrateia is seated and clasps her husband’s hand in a gesture of sadness and farewell. Both are shown as model citizens – she is dressed modestly for the home, while Meneas appears as he would in public.

Athenian democratic conventions imposed a standard, ‘egalitarian’, iconography for tombstones such as this. They were commissioned by middle- and upper-class families alike. The portraits are highly idealised – only the inscribed names convey individuality. While the stela is modest in size, vivid colour originally enhanced the figures and finial.