Tombstone of Taroulas and his brothers, from Thrace (Volos Λ247)

painted marble stele with a peaked roof design

© HMCS, EFA Magnesias, photo: M. Stamatopoulou

Marbel stele with the painted scene with a peaked roof design

© HMCS, EFA Magnesias, photo: M. Stamatopoulou

Two soldiers, wearing chitoniskoi (knee-length dresses), chlamydes (cloaks) and krepides (army boots), carrying spears, stand back to back in an open-air setting, framed by two architectural structures.  The man on the left, places an object on a herm pillar; the man on the right shakes hands (dexiosis) with a standing female figure, facing him, who is barely visible (in the VIL image, we can see part of her dress and outline). The tree in the right top part of the scene, behind the architectural structure, places the scene in an outdoor setting.

The epitaph commemorates several members of the same family: Taroulas, son of Makron; Makron, son of Maides and Artemidoros, son of Makron and mentions their mother Seuthaze. As their names suggest, they probably originated from Thrace and must have served in the army stationed in the city. The placing of figures against an open-air, architecturally defined space, rendered in perspective, recalls features we observe later in Pompeiian painting.