Gravestone of Mynnia

The inscription at the top of this stele, or grave monument, reads: "Here lies Mynnia to the sorrow of her mother." It then goes on to identify the figures depicted in the carving. At the left, a woman, Euphrosyne, sits on a stool with her cloak pulled up over her bowed head. She reaches out to shake hands with Mynnia, the young woman standing before her. The handshake was a frequent gesture on Greek grave monuments of the 300s B.C, emphasizing family unity even after death. Mynnia wears her hair in a long braid hanging down her back. Although Mynnia lived to adolescence, as shown by her developed breasts, this hairstyle indicates that she died before marriage. A small girl, Artemisias, kneeling between the figures reaches up to comfort her grieving mother. Originally, the inscription named only Euphrosyne and Mynnia. The names of Artemisias and Euteles, the girls' father, were added at a later date. Perhaps Artemisias died after the relief was carved but before marriage, and her name was added so that the stele could honor both daughters.