Ancient Stele
Just as we use tombstones to mark graves and commemorate our dead, so too did ancient civilizations. One way to do so in the ancient world was through the use of steles. A stele is a stone slab, usually decorated in relief and inscribed, that honored the death of a person. Three of the ancient cultures that had implemented the use of the stele were the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. In comparing an example from each civilization, it is possible to see the evolution of the stele from one period to another and the different influences each civilization had on a single element. The Egyptians had many ways to honor their dead, including the stele. Wealthy Egyptians, especially officials and priest, often had stele placed near their tombs. These steles usually told of the name, position/rank, and the epithets of the deceased along with a funerary prayer. (Gee 224) One such example is the Funerary Stele from Dendereh from the First Intermediate Period (ca. 2150 BCE). (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) This stele belongs to a man named Tjaunty, an official during the First Intermediate Period. The stele depicts Tjaunty on the far left of the rectangular slab. The other two-thirds of the stele
Stele, grave-markers, tombstones . . . whatever they may be called they are nothing new to human civilization. Even though the earliest civilization covered here was Egyptian, it is certain that they were not the first to apply such an idea. What can be said about stele is that, like other examples from the history of art, they reflect the cultures and attitudes of the civilizations in which they originate. The stele discussed from the Egyptian society appears to be very basic and gives only a summed-up version of information about the owner. Granted, it is certain that a more glorified nature would be found in such as that of a pharaoh, but not so in those below the pharaoh. The Egyptian stele seems to represent an attitude of straight-forwardness (in keeping with the clarity and complete representation of the Egyptian style). As for the Greek stele, it is more intimate, a glance into a moment of that person's life (very naturalistic). The Roman stele is, without a doubt, glorifying. The Romans most certainly had an egotistical attitude about them. Why should it surprise anyone to see it within the art that was meant to memorialize them? Comparing these three civilizations has shown that a single element, used in different civilizations, may have the same intended use but the way each civilization goes about using this element can be quite different from one another. are reserved for inscriptions of hieroglyphs. The Apothesis of Sabina stele is to honor the death and deification of Sabina, the wife of Emperor Hadrian. Sabina is shown risen up as a goddess by the personification of Eternity, known because of the torch that she bears. It is also known that Sabina has been deified by appearance the "goddess" crown upon her head. Hadrian, as well as the personification of Campus Martius (the location of the event), observe the cremation. (Janson and Janson
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1270
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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