The epitaph for Tettichos, dated between 575 and 550 BCE, represents the oldest surviving example of an Attic funerary epigram. Discovered in a private garden in Sepolia, near Athens, the inscription exemplifies archaic sepulchral poetry and offers valuable insights into the socio-cultural context of the era. It commemorates a young Athenian who perished in battle, situating his memory within the framework of the heroic ideal and documenting a pivotal moment in the formation of Athenian civic identity.
The death of Tettichos and the accompanying epigraph align chronologically with the hostilities between Athens and Megara over control of the island of Salamis. Following a series of conflicts led by Solon and Pisistratus, the Athenians secured the port of Nisaea (circa 575–570 BCE), marking a critical milestone in their rivalry over Salamis. Although the epigram does not explicitly detail the circumstances surrounding Tettichos’ death, it is plausible that he participated in one of these battles. The inscription emphasizes the individuality and virtues of the young warrior, reflecting the elitist and individualistic tendencies characteristic of sixth-century BCE commemoration practices. Monuments of this nature, typically commissioned by aristocratic families, aimed to perpetuate the kleos of the deceased while simultaneously enhancing familial prestige. Thus, it may be conjectured that the monument bearing the epitaph comprised a base, a decorated stele, and potentially a relief portraying Tettichos as a youthful warrior or hoplite. The name Tettichos, rare in Attic nomenclature, can be traced to Athenian aristocratic circles, as the “cicada” (τέττιξ), a symbol associated with autochthony, was particularly esteemed among the aristocracy.
The epigram consists of two elegiac couplets that engage with the theme of the “beautiful death” (καλός θάνατος) through the use of epic formulas and motifs. Noteworthy examples include ἄλοθεν ἐλθόν (l. 2, cf. Od. 7.33, 52, 17.382), ἐν πολέμῳ (l. 3, cf. Il. 18.106), and ℎέβην ὀλέσαντα (l. 4, cf. Il. 13.763). These instances illustrate the incorporation of epic diction into funerary inscriptions and suggest the existence of standardized compositional forms for such texts in archaic Greece. The epigram further underscores the enduring power of poetry to confer immortality. Through an invocation to the passerby, the text exhorts reflection upon and emulation of the deceased’s virtues. Tettichos is described as “valiant” (ἀγαθός, l. 3), aligning him with the warrior ethos of the archaic period, as exemplified by the military heroes celebrated in the elegies of Tyrtaeus. The young soldier’s sacrifice is thus universalized, transforming him into an archetype of martial virtue and premature mortality.
The inscription is particularly significant as it offers unique evidence of the Athenian perception of polis boundaries during the Archaic period. The distinction in the text between the city dweller (ἀστός, l. 1) and the outsider (ξένος, l. 1) suggests that in the sixth century BCE, the concept of city identity was still evolving. This distinction implies limited integration between the urban centre and the rural hinterlands. In this context, the term ξένος does not exclusively denote a non-citizen from outside the polis but also includes inhabitants of Attica’s rural areas. This usage indicates that the territorial boundaries of the polis were not yet uniformly conceived as encompassing the entirety of Attica. The epitaph, therefore, reflects not only a social and geographical dichotomy between urban and rural areas but also a political and cultural imaginary in which citizenship was primarily associated with the urban core, relegating peripheral areas to a subordinate status.
This differentiation is particularly salient in a commemorative context. As is typical of funerary stelae commissioned by aristocratic families, the inscription emphasizes Tettichos not as a member of the polis, but as a representative of an idealized aristocracy. This aristocratic identity was rooted in personal attributes rather than collective affiliation. Consequently, the epitaph provides a rare attestation of a transitional phase in Athenian history, capturing a period when the concept of citizenship was nascent and had not yet acquired the inclusive and territorially unified character that would define classical Athens.
The epitaph thus constitutes an early exemplar of Greek sepulchral poetry, blending formal elegance with thematic complexity. Its message intertwines commemoration, encomium, and exhortation to arete, serving to immortalize the young combatant while reflecting the foundational values of archaic Attic society. Moreover, it offers a significant perspective on the evolving conceptualization of citizenship in pre-Classical Athens, shedding light on a multifaceted and transitional historical reality.
[εἴτε ἀστό]ς τις ἀνὲρ εἴτε χσένος
ἄλοθεν ἐλθόν ⋮ / Τέτιχον οἰκτίρα-
ς ἄνδρ’ ἀγαθὸν παρίτο, ⋮ / ἐν πολέμοι
φθίμενον, νεαρὰν ℎέβεν ὀλέσαν-
τα ⋮ / ταῦτ’ ἀποδυράμενοι νε͂σθε ἐπ- 5
ὶ πρᾶγμ’ ἀγαθόν.
1 Rangabé proposed [ἢν δ’ εὔνου]ς τις ἀνὴρ ἐ[π]ίῃ ξένος. [εἴτε ἀστό]ς was subsequently proposed by Peek e Guarducci; Kirchhoff suggested [εἴτ’ ἀστό]ς.
Let each man, whether a citizen or foreigner coming from elsewhere, pass by only after pitying Tettichos, a good man, who perished in war and lost his fresh youthfulness. Once you have lamented this, move on to a good deed (transl. Day 1989, 17).
- G. Anderson, The Athenian Experiment: Building an Imagined Political Community in Ancient Attica, 508–490 B.C., Ann Arbor 2003
- N. T. Arrington, Ashes, Images, and Memories: The Presence of the War Dead in Fifth-Century Athens, Oxford 2015
- M. Canevaro, How to cast a criminal out of Athens. Law and territory in archaic Attica, in I. K. Xydopoulos, K. Vlassopoulos, E. Tounta (eds), Violence and Community. Law, Space and Identity in the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean World, London – New York 2017, 50-71
- A. M. D’Onofrio, The Beautiful Monument: The Aristocracy of Images in Athenian Funerary Sculpture (c. 530–480 BCE), in M. Meyer, G. Adornato (eds), Innovations and Inventions in Athens c. 530 to 470 BCE – Two Crucial Generations, Wien – Pisa 2020, 167-186
- J. W. Day, Rituals in Stone: Early Greek Grave Epigrams and Monuments, JHS 109, 1989, 16-28
- K. Derderian, Leaving Words to Remember: Greek Mourning and the Advent of Literacy, Leiden – Boston – Cologne
- F. Ferrandini Troisi – S. Cagnazzi, Il giovane Tettichos e le cicale d’oro degli Ateniesi, Epigraphica 72.1-2, 2010, 9-19
- M. Guarducci, Epigraphical Appendix, in G. M. A. Richter, The Archaic Gravestones of Attica, London 1961, 155-172
- S. C. Humphreys, The Family, Women and Death: Comparative Studies, Ann Arbor 19932
- L. H. Jeffery, The Inscribed Gravestones of Archaic Attica, ABSA 57, 1962, 115-153
- A. Kirchhoff, Inscriptiones Atticae anno Euclidis uetustiores, 1873
- W. Peek, Griechische Vers-Inschriften, vol. 1, Berlin 1955
- A. R. Rangabé, Mémoire sur trois inscriptions grecques inédites, in Mémoires présentés par divers savants a l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres de l’Institut impérial de France, vol. 6, Paris 1864, 261-294
- M. Tentori Montalto, Essere primi per il valore. Gli epigrammi funerari greci su pietra per i caduti in guerra (VII-V sec. a.C.), Pisa – Roma 2017
- Henri Van Effenterre, Françoise Ruzé, Νomima. Recueil d’inscriptions politiques et juridiques de l’archaïsme grec.Tome I : Cités et institutions, Rome 1994, I.2.