Commentary Prepared by Dr. Julia Lenaghan, Ashmolean Museum

A 119 B
Odysseus Slaying the Suitors; Trysa Heroon South Wall

Limestone
Architectural Relief
W (total) 761 cm

First discovered in 1841 but soon forgotten, the Trysa heroon was rediscovered in 1881 by Otto Benndorf, then Professor of Classical Archaeology in Vienna. In 1882/83 the friezes of the heroon were transferred to Vienna.
Austria, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
Late Classical, ca. 370 BC

Preservation:
The entire surface of the relief is heavily weathered. The face of the woman on the left is completely worn off.

Description:
Four figures are depicted in this scene. To the left is a woman in a peplos, standing almost frontally but gazing to the right, her right arm held horizontally in front of her chest, the left arm bent in the elbow and raised, so that the left hand touches the chin. Next is another woman, clad in a chiton and seen from the back. She moves to her right but has her head turned back to the first woman. Her left arm is stretched upwards and to the side, the right hand touches the head. Then follows a mature, bearded man in a short chiton and mantle that is draped over his back. He is depicted almost frontally, but appears to be moving to the right and, like the woman behind him, has turned his head and looks back. He wears a helmet and holds a sword in his right, and a burning torch in his left hand. Next to this man is a wall with a doorway, from which a small boy emerges, his head turned towards the inside of the room.

Discussion:
The scene depicted here is still outside the main banqueting hall of the palace. To the left are two of Penelope’s maids, the one to the right, clearly distressed, perhaps the treacherous Melantho who had conspired with the suitors. The bearded man with the sword is probably Odysseus’ loyal servant Eumaios, ready to guard the door and prevent any suitor from escaping his master’s revenge. To the right is the doorway leading into the main hall, from which a small boy servant emerges.

Bibliography:
O. Benndorf and G. Niemann, Das Heroon von Gjölbaschi-Trysa (Vienna 1889) esp. 96-105 pls. 7-8 The basic first publication of the monument.
F. Eichler, Die Reliefs des Heroon von Gjölbaschi-Trysa (Vienna 1950) esp. 55-57 pls. 6-7 Detailed guide with a description of the monument and the individual reliefs.
R. Noll, Das Heroon von Gjölbaschi-Trysa. Ein fürstlicher Grabbezikr griechischer Zeit in Kleinasien [= Führer durch das Kunsthistorische Museum Nr. 16] (Vienna 1971) esp. 4 A short guide with a detailed description of the various reliefs.
W. A. P. Childs, "Prolegomena to a Lycian Chronology, II: The Heroon from Trysa" (RA 2 1976) 281-316 Gives a detailed stylistic comparison between the reliefs from Trysa and sculptures from the Greek mainland and the rest of Lycia. The Heroon at Trysa is dated to ca. 370 BC.
C. Bruns-Özgan, Lykische Grabreliefs des 5. Und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr. [= IstMitt Beiheft 33] (Tübingen 1987) 56-81; 256-257 pls. 9-11.2; 12-13.2 Argues that the friezes from Trysa show an advanced style of ca. 370 BC and are influenced by the iconography of Greek paintings of the Classical period, probably through the use of established pattern books.
B. S. Ridgway, Fourth-Century Styles in Greek Sculpture (London 1997) esp. 88-94 pls. 24-25 Good summary and bibliography of previous research on the heroon.