The Burial Customs of the Ancient Greeks

This dissertation surveys funerary practices in ancient Greece, using literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence to outline duties to bury the dead, exceptional burials (such as suicides or sudden deaths), and preparations including washing, anointing, wreaths, and passage offerings. It describes the lying-in-state and public mourning, funeral processions, the coexistence of cremation and inhumation, coffin and tomb types, grave inscriptions and votive gifts, funerary meals and sacrifices, and later commemorative rites and games. The study highlights regional and legal variations and emphasizes material monuments as principal witnesses to popular customs and changes over time.