Fragment of a Marble Greek Grave Stele of a Warrior in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2007

Fragment of a marble grave stele of a warrior
Greek, Attic, ca. 390 BC
Said to be from Attica

Accession # 40.11.23

The ashes of every Athenian who fell in battle were returned to the city and buried in the state funerary ground in the outer Kerameikos at the northwest edge of the city, just outside the walls. The grieving family might also erect a stele- usually with a battle scene- in its own burial precinct to honor the fallen soldier. Here, captured in a desperate moment, both the standing soldier and his fallen opponent are about to be slain.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.