Roman Funerary Stelae from Thebes: Expressions of Cultural and Social Identity between Patronage and Production Workshops
Abstract
Grave stelae dating to the Roman period - particularly those with relief representations discovered in the territory of ancient Boeotia, in Central Greece, have not yet been systematically studied. The catalogue currently in preparation, which documents the corpus of the stelae in the Archaeological Museums of Thebes, Chaeronea, Schimatari (ancient Tanagra), and in the Archaeological Collection of Thespies, provides the basis for a comprehensive reassessment of this material. An analysis of stelae securely attributed to individual poleis demonstrates that these monuments, through their combined iconographic and epigraphic apparatus, constitute reliable indicators of the social and economic status of the deceased.
At the same time, they offer an essential and original point of departure for evaluating patterns of local production and the circulation of imported products. More broadly, funerary stelae represent a valuable source for reconstructing the cultural milieu of Roman-period Boeotia. The selection of monument type and figural representation reflects strategies of self-representation and commemoration, revealing how the deceased—or their families—sought to shape their posthumous memory within the civic community.
The Boeotian material—dating to the Roman period—confirms the existence of particularly close ties with Attica. The funerary landscape is largely dominated by stelae of Attic manufacture, whose typological and iconographic features exerted a significant influence on local production. Nevertheless, while Attic models appear preeminent, the presence of influences from other Greek regions should not be entirely discounted.