Commemoration of the Dead: Ptolemaic Alexandrian Tomb Stelae and Loculi Slabs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26247/aura8.11Abstract
Tomb stelae and loculi slabs from Ptolemaic Alexandria offer valuable insights into the funerary practices of the Greeks who lived and died in Egypt. Far from serving merely as tomb markers, these stelae reveal how Greeks adapted to life far from their homeland, embodying the materialisation of memory, identity, and values in Alexandria.
These commemorative objects reflect the cultural diversity of Ptolemaic Alexandria, blending Egyptian, Greek, and broader Hellenistic motifs to create a distinct visual and symbolic language that encapsulates the city’s multicultural identity. The rituals surrounding the erection of these stelae, their inscriptions, and their artistic expressions shed light on how individuals and communities engaged with concepts of the afterlife, ancestry, and self-representation.
The stelae also expose the social dynamics of the period, including class distinctions, religious syncretism, and the use of art and text to negotiate personal and collective memory. This paper explores their iconography, inscriptions, and contextual significance, revealing how these objects functioned as enduring connections between the living and the dead.
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