the tomb of the siren

8/10/2019 The Tomb of the Siren

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The Tomb of the SirenAuthor(s): Joseph Coleman CarterSource: American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 78, No. 2 (Apr., 1974), pp. 131-139Published by: Archaeological Institute of AmericaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/502797.

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2/12

T h e o m b

o f

t h i r e n

JOSEPH

COLEMAN

CARTER

PLATES 33-34

The

necropolis

of

Sovana

contains

one of

the

largest,

most

elaborately

decorated

and best

pre-

served

of

the

rock-cut

omb

facadesof Etruria.

The

reliefs

in

its

pediment,

which

represents

Scylla-

like "Siren"

lanked

by

two

winged

figures,

have

long

been

a

major

source

of

its

attraction.

"Mys-

terious

symbols

of a

forgotten

creed"

wrote

the

nineteenth-century

raveler

George

Dennis,

"thus

prominentlydisplayed, hey

cannot fail to stir

the

imagination

f the beholder"

pl. 33,

fig.

I),1

There

was, in fact, a greatdeal more to the monument

than

Dennis saw.

The

pioneering

nvestigation

f

Ranuccio Bianchi

Bandinelli

revealed

mpressive

sculptures

which decorated he lower

part

of the

fagade.2

till,

not all

came

to

light

during

the

cam-

paigns

of

the

1920's.

The

tomb

has

given

up

its

secrets

lowly.

In

June

of

1970,

permission

was

generously

granted

by

the

Soprintendenza

lle

Antichita

at

Florence

o

clean

and documentmore

fully

the re-

liefs

then

known.3

In the

course of

clearing

dirt

from the base a discoverywas made whichaltered

considerably

xisting

interpretations

f

the

facade.

It

provided,

as

well,

the stimulus

or

the

following

re-examination f the

monument.

THE

PEDIMENT4

The

coils

on

the

right

side

of

the

pediment

and

her

torso

are

the

"Siren's" est

preserved

arts (pl.

33,

fig.

3).

The

coils

swell like

waves,

diminishing

in size

toward he

angles

of

the

pediment.

Each of

the

two

coils

on the

right

side

turns

under and

comes

out behind

itself. Extensive

damage

to

the

left side of the

pediment

makes it

impossible

o

determine

what

the

tail on

this side

was

doing.

It

seems

not

to

have

beenso

active

as that

on

the

right

and therefore

as

been

restored

s an

uncomplicated

curve

(ill.

i).

The "Siren"

eans

backward

o

her

right.

There

were no

traces

of

dogs'

heads around

her

waist.

The

lower

edge

of

the

"Siren's"

ight

wing

is

visible,

ust

under

her

extended

arm

(pl.

33,fig. 3).

Its

outline

consists

of

three

small

scallops

and

a

large

one

which forms

the

tip,

and

is

partially

ov-

ered

by

the

right

foot

and left

ankle of

the

male

figure.5Her left wing was not represented.

The

"Siren"

olds

a veil.

It

circles

around

behind

her head' and

though

the

surfaceof

the relief has

disappeared,

t seems

that

her

right

forearm

was

foreshortened

nd

that

the end of

the

veil

was

in

her

right

hand.

The

other

end of the

veil

coversher

lowered

eft

forearm

nd

spreads

ut

in wide

folds,

just

above

the

junction

of

her torso

and tail.

The

"Siren's"

eft

arm as

well

appears

o be

involved

entirely

with the

veil.

She

turns

her head

slightly

to

the

right

and

her

gaze

is met

by

thatof a

winged

figurewho looks back over his shoulder(pl. 33,

fig.

3).

His

legs

touch

the coils

of

her

tail

but

slide

over them.

The

figure

on the

left

(pl. 33,

fig.

4)

looks

back over

his shoulder

and is likewise

free.

Both

figures

have

wings.

The

right

wing

of

the

figure

on the

left

is best

preserved

with

its

scalloped

ower

edge very

like

the "Siren's."

he

one

to

the

right

carries

peltast's

hield.Neither

of

them

seem to

have

worn

anything

else.

FRIEZE,

CORNICE

AND

ACROTERIA

A

moulding

framed

he lower

edge

of the

pedi-

ment. It resemblesa Doric frieze, consistingof

triglyphs

which

alternate

with

metopes

containing

1

G.

Dennis,

Cities

and

Cemeteries of Etruria,

II

(London

1883),

8.

2

R.

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

Sovana

(Florence 1929) 67f

with

bibliography.

3

The

work

was

carried out

by

the author

during

the

sum-

mer of

1970

with the kind

cooperation

of the

Soprintendente

at

Florence,

Dr.

Guglielmo

Maetzke.

Prof.

Bianchi Bandinelli

shared

with the author his

enthusiasm and

experience

of

Sovana.

4The

height

of

the

pediment

is

2.1o

m.,

not

including

the

central acroterion

which

extends another

0.40

m.

above the

apex.

It

is

5.30

m.

wide

at

the

"Doric" frieze.

The total

height

of

the

fagade

is 6.45 m.; its width is 5.1o m. just below the

"Doric"

frieze,

and it

projects

on the

average 1.50

m.

from

the face

of the cliff.

Cf.

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

fig.

5,

p.

43,

which,

however,

has

the

flanking figure

down

much too

low

on

the

fagade.

5

G.

Rosi,

"The

Rock

Fagades

of

Central

Etruria,"

JRS

15

(1925),

47,

first noted

the

wings.

This

type

of

wing

is

also

found on

the

Scylla

on

urns.

Cf.

G.

Korte,

I

relievi

delle

urne

etrusche

(Berlin 1916)

III,

pl.

18,

3.

6

Sic

Dennis 6f but

not

Bianchi Bandinelli

132,

n.

53,

who

said an

oar,

a common

attribute

of

Scylla

on

the urns.

Bandinelli

believed

too that the

"Siren"

held

the

two

flanking

figures

in

her

coils.

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3/12

132

JOSEPH

COLEMAN CARTER

[AJA

78

paterae

in low relief. The

triglyphs

reach from a

thin

moulding

at the base

of the

frieze

to one

at

the

top.

This

is

not the conventional

Doric frieze.

The central

triglyph,

just

below

the

point

where

the "Siren's"tails

join,

has

three incisions

(pl.

33,

fig. 3).7 Becauseof damage to the surfaceit is im-

possible

to

say

whether

the three

"triglyphs"

on

either side had

similar

incisions,

but it would

be

strange

if

they

did

not.

In the

reconstruction

(ill.

I)

it is assumed that

they

did.

The

pediment

has neither

a horizontal

nor a

raking

geison.

The frieze borders

it

below,

and

along

the

sloping edge

is

a

moulding

which

projects

from the

plane

of

the

pediment,

but

does not

ex-

tend

above

the

roof level.

Its

form

is

a

simple

con-

vex

curve,

which

enters

the

plane

of

pediment

at

an abrupt angle near the center (pl. 33, fig. 4).

Moving away

from the

center,

the curve

straightens

out and

merges

at a

very gentle angle

with the

plane

of

the

pediment.

Its

best

preserved

section

is

above

the head

and

wing

of

the

figure

on

the

left.

The relief-the

"Siren's"

veil,

the

heads of

the

winged figures-overlaps

this

moulding freely.

The

moulding

was

apparently

conceived,

like those

on

the

urns,

as

a

decorative

frame,

rather than an

architectural

feature.

Something

like acroteria

existed in

the

corners

of

the

pediment,

just

above

the

frieze,

and

in

the

center.8

On the

right

side a

fan-shaped

surface with

a

patera

in

relief can be

distinguished

(pl.

33,

fig.

I;

ill.

I).

Projecting

from the

center

of the

roof

of

the

pediment

is

a

platform,

which

is

flat

on

top,9

and

probably

supported

a

cippus.'0

Its

front sur-

face

has

suffered,

but would seem

to have been

decorated

with two

paterae

in

relief,

one on

either

side of

the center.

The

upperpart

of the

fagade,

though

it

obviously

resembles

a

pediment,

does not

have

the

usual

tri-

angular

shape,

nor

the

pentagonal

form found

on

the

lids

of

urns and

sarcophagi.'

For

most of its

length

the

raking edge

has

a

gradual slope.

As

it

approached

the

lateral

extremes

it

curves

and

fol-

lows,

for a

short

distance,

a

much

steeper

slope

until it

joins

the lower

extremity

of the

pediment,

the "Doric" frieze. The absenceof sharp angles is

not

a result

of

weathering

but

an

important

aspect

of the

original design.

Further

evidence

of

the desire

on

the

part

of

the

sculptor

to

play

down

the

angular

effects of a

pedi-

ment can be seen in the facts that

(I)

the "Siren's"

head and

curving

veil

cover

the

central

angle

of

the

pediment

and

(2)

the

lateral

acroteria

mask,

also

with

curves,

the base

angles.

THE

SUBJECT

OF THE PEDIMENT

Though it contains many familiar elements, the

scene

represented

n the

pediment

of the Tomb of

the

Siren is

unparalleled

in Etruscan

art.

The "Si-

ren" has

wings

and

tails,

and

as noted

above,

no

traces

of

dogs'

heads

surround

her waist.12 She con-

forms to

the

type

of sea-creature

usually

referred

to

as

Scylla,

represented

often

in

Etruscan

funerary

contexts on urns

and

sarcophagi,

on tomb

walls,

naiskos

pediments

and

vases.

She

appears

either

alone or

swinging

an

oar

in

combat

with

armed

men,

over

whom

she is

almost

invariably

victorious.

The

pediment

of the Tomb of the Siren differs

in one

important respect

from the

Scylla

scenes on

the urns.

Present

are

two

winged

male

figures,

but

there

is

no

suggestion

of violence. The

only

con-

tact is

eye

contact.

Why

are

these

figures

present?

The shield

carried

by

the

figure

on the

right

would

suggest

that combat

was

anticipated,

at

least.

Yet the "Siren" does

nothing

about

them,

and

they

look back

at

her

as

they fly

off,

their

legs

trail-

ing

unmolested over her

coils.

The

identity

of these

nude

and

winged, young

males,

like that of the

armed

men

who

fight

with

Scylla,

is

obscure.'8

7

They

have

not been noted before.

Rosi,

47, fig.

39,

de-

scribed them as

"smooth" as

did

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

67.

8

Generally ignored,

their existence was also noted

by

S.

Ainsley,

"Monumenti

sepolcrali

di

Sovana,"

Annal Inst

15

(I843)

229,

P1.

56.

9

The

front

surface

is

0.65

m.

across,

0.40

m.

high,

and

0.50

m.

wide.

Behind this

surface the

platform

widens out

to a

square,

o.90

m.

on

a side.

10

Cf.

the semi-dado

tombs on

either side of

the

Tomb

of

the

Siren. Bianchi

Bandinelli,

47.

Access

to

the

top

of

the

tomb is

another feature

which

the

Tomb

of

the Siren

may

have

in

common

with

the semi-dado tombs.

The

stairs of

the

Tomb of

the

Siren,

however,

are

very

crude,

hidden

behind

the

faqade,

and

may

not

be

contemporaneous

with it.

Dennis,

8,

n.

4,

believed

they

were.

11

Cf. Bianchi

Bandinelli,

fig.

8,

and

a

sarcophagus

from

Vulci

in

nenfro

(indigenous

dark

volcanic

stone).

R.

Herbig,

Jiingeretruskischen

Steinsarkophage

(Berlin

1952)

no.

49,

pl.

42,

pp.

31-32.

Bandinelli

67

believed it

to

be a

triangular

pedi-

ment.

12

An

example

of this

type

of sea

monster

appears

on

the

neck of a volute

crater of the Vanth

group.

Beazley

EVP

169,

Photograph,Soprintendenza

alle

Antichith,

Palermo

Neg.

17667.

It should

be dated to

the

late

fourth

century

B.C.

M.

Del Chi-

aro,

"Scylla

on

a

Caeretan

Red-figured

Vase,"

Arch Cl

21

(1969)

213

notes

that

two-tailed

Scyllas

do not

appear

before

that

date in

Etruria.

Most

comparisons

are

of a

considerably

later date.

13

The

pediment

as

a

whole can

be

interpreted

as

repre-

senting

the

dangers

of

the

journey

to

the

other

world-the



4/12

1974]

THE TOMB OF THE SIREN

133

They

seem to

emanate

from the

center

of the

pedi-

ment,

and

may

be her

minions.

THE STYLE OF THE PEDIMENTAL

RELIEF

Scylla,

either alone

or

in

the

company

of one

or

more figures, appearsoften on Etruscan urns and

sarcophagi,14

o

often,

in

fact,

that

it

might suggest

that

the

sculptor

of

the

pediment

of

the

Tomb of

the Siren

borrowed his

material

from the

repertoire

of

the

urn-carver.

An examination

of

the

style

of

the relief

should

demonstrate,

however,

that if

a

relationship

exists

between the

urns

and

this

pedi-

ment,

it

is

not on the order of a

simple

translation

from small-

to

large-scale

relief.

Striking

contrasts of

style

exist

between

the

figures

on

the

urns

and those of the

Tomb

of

the

Siren.

The different

proportions

of the

figures

are

one

of the most

obvious contrasts.

Scylla

on

the

urns

tends to be

buxom and

short-waisted

with

small

coils

which

twist around and trail off

rather

abrupt-

ly.

The

human

figures

involved with her are

short,

square,

and

muscular,

with

large

heads. The "Si-

ren"

of

the

fagade,

instead,

is

lithe. Her

long

and

slender

torso

contrasts with

the massive coils of

her

tail.

These in turn

create a

low center of

gravity

for

the focal

figure

of the

relief. She

gives

the im-

pression

of

being

agile

and at

the same

time

well-

anchored.

The

winged

male

figures

are likewise

slendererand more youthful than the usual genii

of Etruscan

funerary

art.'

The

outlines of

their

bodies are

graceful

curves.

Though

little else of

the

figures

remains,

the outlines

prove

that

they

were

narrow-waisted

and

long-legged.

Their

lightness

coincides well with the

seeming

effortlessness

of

their

flight--or

rather their

suspension

in

air.'6

Of the distinctive elements

of the

design

of

the

pedimental

relief,

it is

the subtle

balance

between

contrasting

elements

and movements which

above

all demonstrates its independenceand its superior-

ity.

The "Siren's"

elongated

and smooth

torso,

for

example,

leans

back

to

the left

away

from the cen-

ter

of

the

pediment.

Balancing

this

is the

turning

of her

head and

her

gaze

towards the

winged figure

on

the

right.

Scylla's

tail on the left seems to

ripple gently

to-

ward

the

angle

of

the

pediment.

However

much

Scylla's

coils were

contorted on the

left,

they

are

not

likely

to

be

mirror

images

of those on

the

right.

Further,

the two coils

on

the

right,

though

similar

in outline, reenter the plane of the relief at dis-

tinctly

different

angles.

The "Siren's"

right

arm moves

forward in

a

counter-clockwisetorsion out

of it. The movement

of her

coils,

however,

is

just

the

opposite.

There

is

a

dynamic

balance, thus,

between

coils and

torso.

Finally

the combinationof these

effects-freedom

of movement

into and

out of the

plane

of the

pedi-

ment,

the wind-blown veil and

interlocking

gazes

-creates a

strong

sense

of

space

and

atmosphere.

This

is a

sense

not

present

in the urns

which

rep-

resent

Scyllas.

The

style

of the

pedimental

relief

would indicate that it was

designed

and executed

by

a

sculpture

of considerable

ability,

not a

stone-

carver,

and

it

belongs

more

nearly

in

the

main-

stream of Hellenistic

art than do

the reliefs

on the

urns.17

"terrors

of

transit"

(cf.

Beazley

EVP

9)

personified

by

the

Scylla

and

the

winged "giovani,"

as

they

are

identified

by

Bianchi Bandinelli.

There are

a number of

possibilities

for

a

more

specific

identification of the

"giovani."

The

most

probable

in

my

opinion

is

Hypnos

and

Thanatos,

by

analogy

with

South

Italian

funerary

art

where

they appear

young,

nude,

winged

and

always

together.

They

are the

bearers

of the

de-

ceased

to the

next world. Cf.

a Tarentine

relief,

L.

Bernabo-Brea,

"I relievi

tarantini

in

pietra

tenera,"

RivlstArch,

N.S.

I

(1952)

213, fig.

198,

but

cf.

also

a

bronze mirror

in Berlin

where

the

bearers are

bearded,

E.

Gerhard,

Etruskische

Spiegel

III

(Ber-

lin

1863)

pl. 255.

Two other

possibilities

are Kalais

and

Zetes,

the sons

of

Boreas,

or a

pair

of

Erotes.

The sense

of

the

pediment

would seem to be

entirely "pros-

pective"-to

portray

what the

deceased

might expect

to meet

after

death. Del

Chiaro,

212;

213,

n.

I7

interprets

the

figures

to

the

left

and

right

of

the

Scylla

(relying

on Bianchi Bandi-

nelli's

description

of

the

Scylla

brandishing

an

oar),

as

ship-

wrecked

sailors,

and

postulates

that

the tomb

belonged

to one

who

had died

at sea.

There

is no

evidence that

monuments

were

personalized

in

this

way.

Further,

this

gives

the

pediment

a

"retrospective"

ense

that

does not

accord

with the

rest of

the

program.

See

E.

Panofsky,

Tomb

Sculpture

(New

York

1964)

20ff for

a definition

of the

terminology.

14

Korte

III,

pls.

11-33.

Cf.

especially pl.

20,

8

(reproduced

by

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

fig.

8)

which

is

a rare

example

of the

Scylla

in

a

pedimental space

on

an

urn.

For

another

cf.

G.

Giglioli,

L'Arte

Etrusca

(Milan

I935)

pl.

406,

2.

Herbig,

No.

109, pl. 46,

b.

15

Cf. however the Eros

(Thanatos?)

of

the Tomb

of

Orcus

at

Tarquinia.

R.

Herbig,

Gdtter

und Ddmonen

der Etrusker

(Mainz 1965)

47,

pl. 41,

2.

16

Airborne

genii,

if

they

occur at

all

on

the

urns,

must be

very

rare.

They

are

not

common,

either,

in

painting.

An

ex-

ceptional

case

is an

Eros in

the

angle

of

the

painted

Tomb

of

the Warrior

at

Tarquinia.

M.

Sprenger, "Esegesi

e

cronologica

della Tomba del

Guerriero,"

StEtr

37

(1969)

407,

pl.

99b.

The

Eros

appears

to

be

jet-propelled.

Sprenger

dates the

paint-

ings

ca.

330

B.C. These

winged figures

seem

almost to be

walk-

ing

horizontally. They

resemble

especially

the

vertically

sus-

pended

Erotes

on

Apulian

Red-figured

vases,

H.

Sichtermann,

Die

Griechische

Vasen

in

Unteritalien

(Tiibingen

1966)

54,

pl.

138,

and Tarentine

terracotta

relief. P.

Wuillemmier,

Tarente

des

origines

a

la

conquete

romaine

(Paris

1939)

pl.

4I,

figs.

5-6.

17

Cf. the Tomb of

the

Typhon

at

Tarquinia

where

the tails

recede into

the

background

with

exaggerated

perspective.

M.



5/12

134

JOSEPH

COLEMAN CARTER

[AJA

78

EXPLORATION BELOW

THE

PEDIMENT

Below

the

pediment

is

a shallow

niche

in

the

shape

of an arch. It

contains a

relief

of a

banqueter

reclining

on a couch. The folds of the

drapery

be-

tween

the

legs

of the

figure

and his

left

arm,

stretched

along

his

side,

are

barely

discernible

(pl.

33, fig-

5).

His

head

was

in

the

right-hand

corner

near the

back

of

the

niche.

The

top

surface of the

figure

had been

smoothed

off

to make

a

more

or

less level

platform

and

a

rectangular cutting

near the

center

of

it

obliterated

the

mid-section

of

the

banqueter.

These

cuttings

belong

to a

later

use

of

the

monument,

perhaps

as

an

outdoor

shrine. The crude

cross

on the

couch

may belong

to

the

same

period

as

the

alterations

of the

figure

on

it.

The couch has an unusual form. The upper edge

is

scalloped.

In

lower relief are

three

vertical

strips

-which

should

be

understood as behind

and

par-

tially

covered

by

the

scalloped edge. They

divide

the

face of

the

couch into

four uniform

panels.

The

scalloped

edge

is

not

symmetrical

with

the

strips,

which

suggests strongly

that

these

represent

the

legs

of the

couch'8

while the

scallops

are the

edge

of

its

covering, perhaps

a

fur."9

Below

the

couch,

and

also as wide

as

the

niche,

is a

footstool

(pl. 33,

fig.

5)-an adjunct

of

the

banqueting

couch.

It is clear

that

a

representation

of

the

deceased as

banqueter

was

intended,

and

the

inscription

at the back of the niche

undoubtedly

identifies him. It

reads:20

nulina

vel:/velus'

Earth was cleared

away

from the couch and

the

right flanking

statue,

revealing

the full

height

of

the footstool and the statue

base,

both noted

by

Bianchi Bandinelli.

The

stool

(pl. 33,

fig.

6;

ill.

I)

has two

projecting

legs

with

a

curving profile.21

The

monument

rests

directly

on the

steep slope

of

the cliff with

no

artificial

podium

to facilitate

ap-

proach.22

Its

inaccessibility

was

clearly

deliberate,

and the

stairs,

a

very

recent

addition,

violate

the

intention of

the

designer.

It was to be

admired

from

below.

THE

TOMB CHAMBER23

The burial

chamber

(pl.

33,

fig.

2)

is located

be-

low and in front of the facade.

It is

approached

by

a narrow dromoswhich is

barely

visible because

of

the dense

undergrowth

to the left of the

modern

steps.

Both

the chamber and

the

dromos are

ori-

ented

obliquely

with

respect

to the axis

of

the

facade.

This was

not common

practice

and

suggests

that,

perhaps,

the

monumental

facade was a later

thought,

its

position

being

determined

by

the

slope

of the cliff

and

the

requirements

of the

sculptural

program.

In

this case it must have

replaced

a

sim-

pler

early

monument.2 The burial chamber is

Cristofani,

"La Tomba

del

Tifone,"

Memorie,

Academia

dei

Lincei Ser.

8,

14

(1969)

223ff

I.

Far

closer

to

the

"Siren"

is

a

small metal

relief of

a

sea monster from

Southern

Italy.

Cris-

tofani,

pl.

8,

I.

Strong

similarities of

style

and

subject

matter

suggest,

at

least,

that

the

sculptor

of

the tomb was

of South

Italian

origin. Compare

also

the

Scyllas

in

the

pediments

of

Tarentine

naiskoi:

H.

Klumbach,

Tarentiner

Grabkunst

(Reut-

lingen

1937)

P.

3,

pl.

I,

no.

8,

p. 24, pl.

21,

no.

120.

18

For an

example

of

the

six-legged

variety

cf. bronze

couch

from

Cerveteri,

L.

Pareti,

La Tomba

Regolini-Galassi

(Vatican

City

1947) 285,

P1.

30.

19

Cf.

a

cinerary

urn in

the

Villa Giulia.

G.M.A.

Richter,

The

Furniture

of

the

Greeks,Etruscansand Romans (London 1966)

fig. 457.

20

The

nscription

robably

ames

hemost

mportant

urial.

A

new

reading y

A.

Maggiani,

Rivista

i

epigrafia

trusca,"

StEtr,

38

(1970)

330-31,

makes

the

best

sense of a

doubtful

letter.

21

The

stool

measures

.45

m.

high.

Cf.

the urn

of

Arnth

Velimna. A.

von

Gerkan,

F.

Messerschmidt,

"Das Grab

der

Volumnier bei

Perugia,"

RM

57

(1942)

pl.

20.

22

The

concept

is

related to

the wall

tomb

of Asia

Minor,

rather than

the

Apulian

heroon.

See

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

131,

n.

51.

23

The

entrance to the tomb

chamber is

3.60

m. in

front of

the

faqade

and

4.70

m.

below

it

(measured

to

the

floor

level).

The dromos is

4.50

m.

long

and

0.70-0.80

m.

wide,

and makes

an

angle

of

30 degrees

with

respect

to

the

plane

of the

facade.

At the entrance to

the tomb the floor of the dromos is

3.60

m.

below the

level

of

the

sloping

hillside.

The tomb

chamber

measures

2.0o

m. to the

back

wall;

1.70

m.

wide

and 1.20

m.

high.

The benches

which

extend

all

along

the side

and back

walls

measure

0.50-o.6o

m. wide

and

rise

0.75

m. from

the

level

of the

chamber

floor.

The

space

on the

benches

is

enough

to

accommodate three

cinerary

urns,

but not

three

bodies. Cf.

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

p.

43,

fig.

4,

no.

5.

24

In

some

cases

at

Sovana,

for

example

the

Hildebrand

Tomb,

it

is clear that

the burial

chamber and

the

monument

are

contemporaneous

Bianchi Bandinelli,

82).

There is

no evi-

dence, however,

which

excludes

the

possibility

of later

amplifi-

cation of the monument. The

pottery

found in an "undisturbed

corner"

of the tomb

chamber

sounds

like late

fourth or

early

third

century

B.C.

material:

An

unglazed

balsamarium,

a

foot of a

red-figured

kylix,

and a

piece

of

good

black-glazed

ware

of

"fourth

century

B.C.

type,"

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

129,

n.

42.

Bianchi Bandinelli dates

the Tomb of

the Siren

to

the

last

years

of

the

third

century

or

first

part

of

the

second

century

B.C. If he is

correct,

the

discrepancy

between his

date

for the

pottery

and

facade

of the tomb can

only

be

explained

by

assuming

that

the

monument

accompanied

a

later

interment

in

the tomb

beneath.

Alternatively,

the

fourth

century

date

for

the

pottery

could be

taken

with a

grain

of

salt.

A

tomb



6/12

1974]

THE

TOMB

OF

THE SIREN

135

small,

with three

benches

of

rough workmanship

which

must have held

cinerary

urns.

THE FIGURES

FLANKING THE NICHE

The

flanking figure

to

the

right

had been

badly

damaged. Cleaning revealed little that was not al-

ready

known

(pl.

33,

fig.

6).

The

weight

of

the

figure

seems

surely

to have

rested

on

its outside

leg,

which

turns

outward.

The

right

is

bent

slightly

at

the knee. The

heavy garment

which

is drawn

horizontally

around

the

figure

has three

gatherings

of

zig-zag

folds

which

hang vertically

below the

knees

and

are

longer

than

the

rest

of

the

garment.

A

corresponding

figure

on

the left side

of

the

area had

obviously

once

existed,

but no traces of

it had

been

noted.25

That side

of

the tomb

was

split, the backing

block which

had been

preserved

to

nearly

its full

height

was shattered

(pl. 34,

fig.

8).

An

exploratory

trench

was

dug

in

front

of it

(pl. 34,

fig.

7).26

The

first

objects

to

emerge

were

red

terracotta

tiles

in

large

numbers,

forming

a

fairly

even

layer

over

the

area of the

trench.27

Just

under these were four

large

blocks of

tufa.

The

three nearest

the

facade

had an

irregular

outline,

while

the

fourth showed

a

smooth

surface and

was

seen

to

join

a similar

one

along

an

axis at an

angle

to

the

facade.

These

two,

as

it

turned

out,

were

sections

of

the

backing

block

of

the

statue.

At the same level as the statue on the right ap-

peared

the

corresponding

one

on the

left

(pl.

34,

fig.

8)

with

the feet

of

the statue still in

situ.

On

this

level

and

just

in front was a

layer

of tufa rub-

ble.

Here the

three

irregular

blocks nearest the

facade had rested. Some of

these were

sections of

drapery.

It

was feared that the entire

surface

of

the

statue

had crumbled

away.

Then the

three

blocks

were

cleaned.

From

the

block

farthest

from

the

facade

emerged

the bust of

a

female

figure

holding

some tresses

of

her

hair in

her

right

hand

(pl. 34, fig.

9).

The

sec-

ond

and

smallest was

part

of

the mid-section

of the

figure

with traces of

drapery

around the

waist.

The

fragment

nearest

the

feet

proved

to

be the

legs, brokenat the ankle and preservedon one side

nearly

to the

waist.

The

figure

wore mid-calf

boots

like the one on

the

right,

and a

garment

which did

not

quite

reach the

knees and

was

gathered

in

vertical

zig-zag

folds on

the

right

side.

As

it came out of

the

ground

the tufa was moist

and

spongy

and

it crumbled

easily.

Its color

was

dark

red-brown.

Despite

the

greatest

care,

a section

of

the

lower

lip

of

the

figure

broke

off

while it was

being transported

to

the

town.28

After

several

weeks

the

sculpture

dried out

and became both

more brittle and lighter

in

color.

The

state

of

the

preservation

of

details

such

as

the

lips

and

the

in-

dividual

strands of

hair

grasped

by

the

fingers

in-

dicate that

the statue

was not

exposed

to much

weathering

on

the

face

of

the tomb.29 It

seems

logi-

cal

to conclude

that

it

fell and was covered

by

earth

in ancient times.

Probably

an

earth

tremor,

which

split

that side

of

the

tomb,

also knocked

down the

statue.

This would accord

well

with the fact that

the

backing

blocks seem to

have

been

violently

dislodged

at

the

same

time.3o

The

figure

was in

high

relief,

the

right

side

higher

than the left. This is evidenced by the right

arm,

which extended out

from

the

background

but

was

not

freed from it. It

is about

twice

as

deep

as

it is

wide,

and in the

very

scant detail on

the

left

side-the

hair,

for

example-it

is clear that the left

side of

the

figure

turned

decidedly

towards

the

niche and

central axis

of

the

tomb.

The three

fragments

were

found

to

join

each

other

(pl.

34,

fig.

Io)"3

and the

feet

on

the

base.

The total

height

of the

figure

is about

1.63

rn.32

recently

discovered in another

part

of the

necropolis,

at

Poggio

Grezzano,

with the burial

intact,

contained no

red-figured

material,

but considerable

black-glazed

ware which

can

be

fairly

securely

dated

200-15o

B.C.

P.E.

Arias,

"Sovana,"

NSc

(0971) 58-85.

25

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

fig.

4,

no.

5.

213

The

tools and

much

valuable

assistance

was

lent

by

Sig.

O.

Merli of

Sovana

and Miss

M.

Randolph.

27

All were

pan

tiles. Some

had

one

edge preserved.

One

fragment

of a local imitation

of

a

Campana

black-glaze

shal-

low bowl was found

just

above the

layer

of tiles. It

may

have

been thrown

up

when the

dromos was

cleared.

28

This

was

accomplished

with assistance from

the Parroco

of

Sovana,

Don Vasco

Carini. The

fragments

were

wrapped

in

several

layers

of

burlap

and

carried

down the

hill in a small

chaise

(which

served

also to

carry

religious objects,

the

coffins

of

children,

and

grapes

in

autumn).

They

were

deposited

in

the Palazzo Pretorio.

29

The

surface of this

and the entire

facade

would have been

covered

with

a

protective

coat

of

stucco and

painted.

Cf.

the

traces of this still

remaining

on the

nearby

Hildebrand

Tomb,

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

80.

30

The

layers

of

tiles

which covered the

fragments

must

have

washed down

the

hillside. It does

not

seem

likely

that

they

would

have

anything

to

do

with the tomb.

31

Because

it

was not

possible

to

photograph

the

fragments

together except

at a

great angle,

the

recomposed

statues must

be illustrated

with a

composite

photograph.

3S2Leg

section at the maximum measures:

height

0.75

m.,

width

0.50

m.,

thickness

0.35

m.;

the

central section:

height

0.75

m.,

width

0.50

m.,

thickness

0.35

m.;

and

the bust:

height

0.48

m.,

width

0.65

m.,

thickness

0.32

m.



7/12

136

JOSEPH

COLEMAN

CARTER

[AJA

78

The stance

of

the

figure

is an

exaggerated

contra-

posto,

with

her

weight

resting

on the

right

leg,

which

was

perpendicular

to the

fagade,

while

the

left

was slack

and

angled

towards

the central axis

(ill.

i).

The

weight

distribution of the two

flank-

ing figures

(though

not the

position

of the

feet)

is

I(

_ __

--

........

_

ILL.

I.

Reconstruction

of

the

fa;ade

symmetrical.

The

right

foot was

advanced and the

right hip

was thrown out.

The

upper

torso

turned

at

a

considerable

angle,

in a counterclockwise di-

rection.

Her

hair

circled

around

behind

her head

and fell over

her

shoulder,

which

appears

not

to

have

been covered. There

she held

the

strands in

her

right

hand.

What meanwhile

was

the left

arm

doing?

There

are

only

the

very

faintest

traces on

one of the backing blocks of what might have been

part

of

the

left

arm,

falling

down

beside

the

left

flank.

The

garment

is

a short off-the-shoulder

chiton.

Three folds

on either

side of the

torso

indicate that

the

drapery

was

wrapped

around the

waist

horizon-

tally and was probably belted under the breasts.

THE

ICONOGRAPHY

OF

THE

LOWER

FA9ADE

The

poor

state of

its

preservation

will make the

identity

of

the

figure

on

the

right

side of the tomb

a

mystery

forever.

Before the

discovery

of the

figure

on the

left it

was

recognized

as

one

of

a

hypotheti-

cal

pair

of

"slaves."

(There

is

in

fact

no evidence

to

suggest

that the

left and

right

figures

were

not

identical.)

Boots and

a

garment

which reaches

to

the

knees

with folds

hanging

below can be distin-

guished (pl. 33, fig. 6), but the sex is indetermina-

ble.

The

figure

on the left side

of

the

tomb was

a

beautiful

woman,

dressed

in

a

skirt which

stops

well above the

knees

and

mid-calf-length

boots.3"

She would

therefore

appear

to

be

one of the female

death daimons of the Etruscans.

With the

names,

Vanth

and

Culsu,

they

appear

on

urns,

sarcophagi

and

frescoes

in

just

such dress with

breasts

bared,

long

hair,

and

as

often

as

not,

wings.

They,

further,

are

often found

flanking

an arched

doorway,

as is

here the

case."4

Though

much is in favor of

identifying

her as one

of

these death

divinities,

an

explanation

is

needed

for her

remarkable behavior.

She turns

her

head

toward the arch and

the

image

of

the

deceased

as

banqueter.

Her

gaze, though,

is

directed

into the

distance

and

she holds

in her

hand several

strands

of hair and seems to be

absentmindedly

playing

with them. This would

seem

to be the

gesture

of

the mourner

familiar

from

many

examples

of

mourning

slaves

and

sirens

(pl. 34,

fig.

I1),"5

though

it

is

also

very

like

that of

Venus

arranging

her hair.3 She has an air of resignation and re-

33

Cf.

the

winged

demons and

Erynnues

of South

Italian

vases

after

whom

probably

the

Etruscan daimons

were

patterned.

See

K.

Schauenburg,

"Toteng6tter

in der unteritalischen

Vasen-

malerai"

AA

73 (1958)

figs.

o0-I2,

Sichtermann,

pi.

70

and cf.

the

daimon with the

whip,

0.

Brendel,

"Der

grosse

Fries in der

Villa dei Misteri"

JdI

81

(1966)

232.

Similar

costumes

are

worn

also

by

Amazons

in fourth

century

B.C.

South

Italian

vase-

painting.

Cf.

the

recently

discovered

hydria,

manufactured

in

Metapontion,

D.

Adamesteanu,

Metaponto

(Naples

1973)

28,

Fig.

8.

34Vanth

on the

sarcophagus

of

Hasti Afunei stands in

the

doorway;

Culsu,

beside

it.

Two daimons

flank

a

painted

arch

on

the

urn of

Arnth

Velimna;

see n.

22

supra.

See

also R.

Enking,

"Culsu and

Vanth,"

R6mMitt

58

(1943) 59ff.

35

See

G.

Neumann,

Geste und Gebdrden n

der

Griechischen

Kunst

(Berlin

1965) pp.

86ff.

For

the Attic

siren

see

M.

Col-

lignon,

Les Statues

funeraires

dans

l

art

grec (Paris

1911)

222,

fig. 143. Examples

of

mourning

women are

uncommon

in

Etruscan

art. E.

Gerhard,

Etruskische

Spiegel,

I

(Berlin

1884)

pl.

15,

16, 2-4,

H.

B.

Walters,

Catalogue

of

the

Bronzes

of

the

British

Museum

(London

1889)

N.

743, 130-31.

Cf.

Korte

I,

P1.

43,

15,

which

shows

similar

mourner

at

the

sacrifice

of

Iphigenia.

S6E.g.

the

Aphrodite

Anadyomene

type,

M.

Bieber,

Sculp-

ture

of

the

Hellenistic

Age

(New

York

I96I)

83,

figs.

294-95.



8/12

1974]

THE TOMB OF

THE SIREN

137

served

concern. If

she

is

Vanth, then,

she is

unlike

any

other

previously

known,"3

since

Vanth

never

shows human

concern.

The

figure's

apparently

sympathetic gesture

and

her daimon's dress can be

reconciled

by assuming

that she is a Vanth or Culsu who besides per-

forming

her role

as

guardian

was

also

a

mourner,38

or

that she is

under

her

Vanth

dress,

a

Venus."9

THE

ARCHITECTURE

F

THE

FAqADE

Though

grouped by

Bianchi

Bandinelli

with

tombs whose

fagades

are

believed

to

represent

buildings,

it is

not clear

how far the

Tomb

of the

Siren should be

considered

architectural.

Carved in

relief in the face

of the

tufa cliff

are

two

promi-

nent

architectural

features-a

pediment

and an

arch. Becauseof the pediment and lack of a colon-

nade,

the

facade

has

generally

been

classified

as

an

aedicular

or

naiskos form.40

Below the

pediment,

however,

all

resemblance

to what

is

known

of the

Greek

or

South

Italian

naiskos

vanishes.

The

arched

space

encloses the

image

of

the

deceased

reclining

on

a

banquet

couch,

enjoying

the

pleasures

of

the

otherworld,

flanked

by

two daimons

in

high

relief.

The

Tomb

of the Siren

cannot be

understood

except

as

a

collection of

symbols,

some

with

archi-

tectural

form. The

pediment

and

the

Doric

frieze

of the Tomb of the Siren, it is

suggested,

inten-

tionally

recall

a

naiskos

monument like

those em-

ployed

in

Southern

Italy,

or

Asia

Minor,

as the

focus

of

the

cult

of

the

deceased

as

hero. On the

other

hand,

the

flanking figures,

though

conceived

in

sculptural

terms

and

placed

on

bases,

are

clearly

not functional

parts

of

a

naiskos. Like

the

painted

Charuns beside

the doors

of

Tarquinian

tombs

they

are visual

reminders

of

imaginary

presences,

at the

dividing

point

between

this world

and

the

next,

symbolized

by

the

arch.41

Behind,

in the

arch-

shaped space

is the

image

of the

deceased,

removed,

aloof,

reclining

in

otherworldly

bliss.

SOURCES

The Tomb

of the

Siren,

as far as the

decoration

of the

facade

is

concerned

is an isolated and

in

many

ways

unique

monument.

It

has

apparently

drawn

the elements

for

synthesis

from familiar

but

disparate

sources. The

pediment

resembles

those

of South Italian

naiskoi,

the archhad both

practical

and

symbolic

uses in

Etruria,

while

the

figure

of

the deceased

reclining

is

normally

found

on the

lids

of Etruscan

urns and

sarcophagi.

The

preponderance

of Etruscanfeatures

suggests

that the sources for the monument as a whole

should

first be

sought

in Etruria.

Further,

the

naiskos

pediment,

the one

seemingly

foreign

com-

ponent,

was also

known in

Etruria,

above

all

at

Vulci

and

Populonia.42

The naiskos

pediments

of

Vulci

were decorated

with relief

sculpture

of

sim-

ilar

subject

matter,43

and it is

logical

to

suppose

that

Vulci,

a

major

center,

would have

received

foreign

influences

first,

later

transmitting

them

inland. Naiskos

pediments,

which

were

also

imi-

tated on

urns,"

would

have

provided

easily

avail-

able

models for

sculptors

at

Sovana.

Some

urns,

in

fact,

contain

many

of the same

ele-

ments as

the

facade

of

the Tomb

of the

Siren.

One

from

Perugia,

for

example,

has a

pediment

with

Scylla

and

a Doric frieze:

below this

is

an

arched

door

in relief.

Another,

also from

Perugia,

has

a

Scylla

in the

pediment

above

two

banqueters

on

couches

and

the

base

moulding

is

a

Doric

frieze.45

Flanking figures

are often found

beside

the

door

on urns." The

fact that the Tomb

of

the

Siren

37

It

is

Vanth's

and

Culsu's

nature

to

be

hostile,

or at

best

impassive.

See

Enking,

"Culsu"

65.

88

This in

effect

makes the

sculptor responsible

for

changing

the daimon's

character,

which would

not

be out

of

line

with

the sort

of

changes

noted in an

age

of

syncretism.

On

one

sar-

cophagus

Vanth-Culsu has been

replaced

entirely

by

creatures

who

resemble

mourning sirens,

Enking "Culsu,"

68,

fig.

Io.

39

For

the

syncretism

of

Vanth

and

Venus,

cf.

O.W.

von

Vacano,

"Vanth-Aphrodite,"

Hommage

a

Albert

Grenier,

Vol.

3

(Brussels

I962)

I53Iff.

40

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

6Iff.

41

Cf. the

Doric

temple

tomb

at

Norchia,

where

a

procession

of

humans and

imaginary creatures,

including

Charun,

passes

along

the

facade

behind the

colonnade.

N.

Demus-Quatember,

"Die

Tomben

mit

Tempelfassade

in der

Necropolen

von

Norchia,"

JOAI 40

(i953)

II2ff.

42

A.

de

Agostino,

Populonia,

La

Citta e la

Necropoli (Rome

I965)

26f,

fig. 13.

The

Tomb

of

Votive

Bronze

dates

from

the fifth

century

.C.andwas

n use n

the

fourth.

t

seems

to havebeenrobbed

n the third.

Therewas

apparently

o

sculpturalecoration.

43G.

Bendinelli,

Vulci"

Sc

(1921) 354,

fig.

6. A num-

ber

of

these,

unpublished,

re

in the

Villa

Giulia

Museum.

Cf.

Ducati,

l.

I68,

fig.

428.

Cf. an urn

from

Vulci,

with a

head

growing

rom

heacanthusn

a

pediment

nd

the

pedi-

ment

of

the Tomb

f the

Typhon.

ianchi

andinelli,

l.

28.

44Bianchi

andinelli,

ig.

8.

This

pedimental

cylla

was

in a

position

o

influencehe

tomb

builder

f

Sovana

more

directly

han he

Tarentine.

ovana

robably

elonged

o

the

territory

f

Vulci,

before

he

Roman

onquest

f

278

B.C.

and it

appears

o have

had

close

artistic

ies

later.

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

8.

45

Giglioli,

l.

4o6,

2.

46

KorteII,

94.

Cf.

also

he

urnof

Arnth

Velimnas,

erbig,

Gutter,

fig. 7.



9/12

138

JOSEPH

COLEMAN CARTER

[AJA

78

combines

elements found on

three

separate

urns

with

pediments

would seem to

indicate that it

and

the

urns

draw

inspiration

from

a common

source.

THE

SYNTHESIS

Though the fagade of the Tomb of the Siren

and

the

urns are

clearly

related,

the most that

can

be said is that

they

are

parallel

and related

develop-

ments.

This is

apparent

not

only

when

one

con-

siders the

stylistic

differences

in the

pediments

but

also the

masterful

way

in which the various

ele-

ments of

the

fagade

have been

arranged

(ill.

I).

The

flanking figures

are

symmetrically posed.

Both rest

their

weight

on the

leg

which

is

farther

from

the center

of

the

tomb,

and

one,

probably

both,

turned the

upper part

of

his

body

and

his

gaze toward the archedspace.This createsa strong

central axis

in

the lower

fagade.

The

figures,

in

effect,

close off

the

space

in front of the arch

from

the

outside

world

and lead

the

eye

of

the

spectator

inevitably

to

the

reclining

figure.

The

eye

is

guided

inward

to the

deepest plane

of

the relief.

Just

the

reverse

is the case

in

the

upper

half

of

the

fagade.

The

focus

is

again

the center. This is

underlined

by

the

attention of the

winged

genii

to

the

"Siren." Their

flight upward

and

away,

how-

ever,

draws

the

spectator's

eye

away

from the

cen-

ter

along

rising

and

centrifugal

lines. Similar ele-

ments are combined in the urns, but never with

the

same

forceful

visual effects as in the Tomb

of

the

Siren.

IMITATORS?

The

Etruscan

rock-cut

tomb of aedicular form is

said to

be

a

stage

in

the

transition

between the

Hel-

lenistic

heroon and

the Roman tomb

monument."

In the case of the

Tomb of the Siren

this

could

apply

only

in the most

general

sense. As far

as

it

can be

known,

no

tomb, Greek, Roman,

or Etrus-

can, really resembles it. Here, the design of the

funerary

monument in the form

of a

fagade

achieved a

degree

of

sophistication

not seen

again

until the

Renaissance.

Similar

spatial concepts,

movement,

and even

the

architecturalelements

were

employed

in the

Ren-

aissance wall tomb. An

outstanding

example

is

the

tomb of the Tuscan architect, A. Sansovino, for

Cardinal Sforza

in

Santa

Maria del

Popolo,

Rome.8

The

Cardinal

reclining

on his lit de

parade,49

ike

an Etruscan

magistrate,

with his head

propped

on

his

fist,

occupies

an arched

space

and the center

of

attention.

Flanking

are the

Virtues,

who

turn

to-

ward

him,

their

weight

resting

on

the

outside

leg.

They

close

off

the

space

before the

arch,

while

on

the

upper

level

two

moving

and one

stationary

figures

occupy

a

space

of

pedimental

shape.

What

a

comparison

of these two monuments

illustrates,

above all, is that both sculptors had an unusual

ability

to

take

elements

from diverse

sources and

to combine them in

visually

powerful

and

dramatic

designs.

A NOTE

N

THE

DATE

No

further

material

evidence

on

the

date of

the

Tomb of the Sirencame

to

light

during

the

investi-

gation

of

1970.

The

possibility

of

different

dates

for the tomb and

the

monument

makes

the

ceramic

evidence a

very

unreliable

indicator."

Thus,

a date

for

the Tomb

of the Siren must

be

based

solely

on

internal

evidence,

on the

style

of the

reliefs,

and

the form

of the

architectural

elements.

The

relief

in

the

pediment

can

be

paralleled

throughout

the

Hellenistic

period.

The

"Siren"

resembles

the

Scyllas

of fourth

century

B.C.

South-

ern

Italy

no

less

than

the

painted

Typhon

of

the

"Tomba

del

Tifone"

at

Tarquinia.

The

figure

re-

clining

on

his

couch is

of

little

help,

because

of

the

poor

state of

preservation,

while

the

couch itself

is

a

common

type

through

the

Hellenistic

period."

Damage

to the

flanking

figures

has

been

too

ex-

tensive for stylistic analysis and comparisons to

carry

much

conviction,

though

the

exaggerated

47

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

5,

P.E.

Arias

EAA,

7, 420

sub

Sovana.

48

Panofsky (supra

n.

13)

fig.

367.

49

This

is

the first

time that

the

gisant

s

shown as

though

awake

his eyes

are still

closed).

The

responsibility

or this

innovation

s

Sansovino'snd

he

must

have

borrowed

t

from

an Etruscan

arcophagus

over.

G.S.

Davies,

Renascence,

he

Sculptural

Tombs

of

the

Fifteenth

Century

in Rome

(London

1910)

I76ff

and

Panofsky,

82.

The lit and

image

of the

Cardinal

are

symbolic.

As

in the

Tomb of

the

Siren,

the

body

was

else-

where.

Sansovino

must

have

had

contact with

Etruscan

antiqui-

ties

which

were

in

vogue

in

this

period.

A.

Chastel,

Art

et

Humanisme

a'

Florence

(Paris

1959)

67ff,

and he

may

have

passed

Sovana

on his

way

to

Rome,

by

the

Via

Cassia.

50

Supra

n.

24.

51

Cf.

the

edge

of a

stone

sarcophagus

lid

from

Tarquinia

which is

represented

as the

edge

of the

couch

with

reclining

deceased as

banqueter,

Herbig,

Gdtter,

44,

pl. 30,

2.

The

tomb

has

been

variously

dated

from

the

late

third

to

early

first

centuries

B.C.

The urn

of

Arnth

Velimnas

has

on

top

of it

a

reproduction

of a

couch.

This

has

also

a

scalloped

edge.

The

legs

are found

at the

extremes and

its

front

surface is

divided

by

three

vertical

gatherings

of

drapery.

Herbig, ibid.,

44-45,

pl.

31.

It has

been

dated

to

the

first

century

B.C.



10/12

1974]

THE TOMB OF

THE SIREN

139

contraposto

of Vanth would

seem

to

point

toward

the later

Hellenistic

period.52

There is

one

element of the

fagade

which

does

seem

to

narrow

the time

span

down

somewhat

more

convincingly.

The "Doric" frieze is of the

form commonly found on urns with both plane

and

incised

triglyphs,

most of

which

have been

dated

to

the

second

century

B.C.

or

later."5

The

weight

of

the

evidence thus

reconsidered

points

to

a date for

the

Tomb of the Siren in the

second

century

B.C.,

closer

probably

to the mid-

century

mark than

its

beginning.54

By

this time

Sovana

was

firmly

under Roman

political

control.

Yet,

she

must have

enjoyed

cultural

autonomy,"5

as evidenced by this and other tombs, and once

again

a

prosperity

which

surpassed

even

that of

the

archaic

city.

52

G.

Krahmer,

"Stilphasen

der hellenistischen

Kunst,"

R6m-

Mitt

38

(1923)

142ff.

Cf. a

bronze statuette

of Athena dated

about

130

B.c.,

R.

Horn,

"Stehende weibliche

Gewandstatuen,"

RdmMitt,

Suppl.

2

(i931)

82,

pl. 34,

I.

53

Cf. a Travertine

urn

from

Chiusi

in

Palermo,

J.

Thimme,

"Chiusinische

Aschenkisten

und

Sarcophage

der

hellenistischen

Zeit,"

StEtr,

23

(I954)

fig.

14,

61-62.

Thimme,

71,

dates it

to

ca.

200 B.C.

Paterae

are

not

nearly

so common as rosettes

on the

urns,

e.g.

the terracotta

sarcophagus

of Larthia

Seianti

from

Chiusi,

Herbig,

20,

122,

P1.

53,

no.

20,

who

dated it to

the

first

half of

second

century

B.C. This

can

only

be a

terminus

post quem.

See

E.

Turr,

Spdtetruskische

Tonsarcophage (Gies-

sen

1969) 36

for

a discussion

of

the

dating.

Similar

Doric

friezes are found

on

the

Roman

funerary

naiskos of the

first

century

B.C.,

though

its

continuity

with

the

tradition

of the

urns seems doubtful.

M.

Torelli,

"Monumenti

funerari romani

con

fregio

dorico,"

Dialoghi

di

Archeologia

II,

I

(1968) 47ff.

54

Bianchi Bandinelli dates it to the late third or

early

second

century

B.C.

(supra

n.

24)

and this has

generally

been fol-

lowed,

e.g.

Del

Chiaro,

213.

The

Tomb

of

the Siren

seems

to

be the culmination of the

development

of

monumental tombs at

Sovana,

begun

perhaps

a

century

earlier.

(There

is

as

yet

no

reason

to

question

the

date

of the Hildebrand Tomb

given

as

ca.

200

B.C.

by

Bianchi

Bandinelli,

p. 83 (supra

n.

24).

55

W.V.

Harris,

Rome

in

Etruria

and

Umbria

(Oxford 197I)

175.

G. Colonna

in

a

paper

on the rock-cut

necropolis

of

Central

Etruria

given

at the

Eighth

Convention

of Etruscan

Studies

at

Orvieto,

June 30,

1972,

emphasized

the

Roman

support

of a

new

agricultural

prosperity

n

Central Etruria in the

Hellenistic

period,

manifested

in

the construction

of

roads

into

the

interior.

M.

Torelli

on

the same

occasion

argued

that

prosperity

had

begun

before

Roman

interference.



11/12


12/12

PLATE

34

CARTER

~.s.

~~~p~

5Q;rl

:s

s;: ,,..az

~:";a?--,

:*:i???:?I

r?

~?~au

FIG.

7.

Trenches in front of the

fagade

(from

the

pediment)

"

r

,?i"

L?

Q1

~i":gr

FIG.

9.

Head

of

Vanth

I,,

z

t

:I-

?,

FIG.

Io.

Composite

of Vanth

cj7

'.

i7

vta.

r.:*-3"P?rN

74:I~

FIG. 8. Trench on

the left

side

with

base

and feet of

flanking figure

i~d:;i?

^~?en:?

3?,1---

::

";

.

~c?~ .

~-nr:t:

i

?:-:::?;??

~I~BkBss~':?-: :

:1

;*

~h;llli

:?il::-:?:?:?-;i?;:I-

-Sa.-~i~B

Aii

a:i:???;:?-

i.?E~~~

"i,--OtiC~e:~1

";:?

?~--R1;

?:'

ss~--~~~l-,

?*

,-:-9w-

~iWi ~,~g

-:

~Fs

ca

-?

FIG.

I

I.

Attic

siren,

Louvre

(after

Collignon,

Les statues

funeraires

dans l'art

grec,

fig.

143)

the tomb of the siren

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