33. Study Questions Copy

The laying out of the body (prothesis); lament; the funeral procession (ekphora); the burial of the body.

The main burial area was the Kerameikos, just outside the northwest walls of the city

There was a move from burial to cremation.

Solon was attempting to limit the competition between aristocratic families over spending on funerals. In reality, as women were the main organisers and participants in funerary rituals, and funerals represented a rare occasion for female independence outside the house, it seems likely that Solon was attempting to control the behaviour of women.

In the Iliad Book 23, we see the funeral of Patroclus, and the warriors take part in a series of sporting events.

The first main festival was the Anthesteria, which took place in late January and lasted three days. It celebrated the maturing of wine and was held to honour Dionysus. The second was the Genesia, which took place in late September, when the graves of the dead were decorated, and sacrifices were made to the ancestors.

It is always difficult to assess the accuracy of such images. It may have been that documentary representation was not what was intended. A certain amount of artistic licence may have been involved.