Commentary Prepared by Dr. Julia Lenaghan, Ashmolean Museum

A 120 A
City Siege; Trysa Heroon West Wall

Limestone
Architectural Relief
W (total) 618 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 faces of the two figures on the right are almost entirely worn off.

Description:
The relief depicts a total of four figures in two distinct scenes. To the left are two warriors fighting each other. They both wear short chitons and are equipped with round helmets and round hoplite shields. The man on the left is bearded and holds a sword in his right hand; some traces on his body might be remains of a cuirass. His opponent is armed with a spear. Further to the right, separated from the hoplites by a tree, are two more man standing on top of a defensive tower. They wear long garments, and both hurl stones with their raised right hand.

Discussion:
Among the frieze decoration of the Trysa heroon the city siege is of particular interest. It is placed between battle scenes and an amazonomachy in the centre of the west wall and covers both frieze bands. The motif of the siege ultimately derives from near eastern models and is frequently used on Lycian monuments, for example on the Nereid Monument at Xanthos (cf. A 116-118). The iconography of the relief, however, is clearly influenced by Greek sources, and the repetitive use of certain figures for example suggests that the local sculptors may have used a Greek pattern book as source of inspiration. Because of the predominance of Greek myths on the heroon friezes, many scholars have looked to Greek mythology in order to identify the city siege, namely the myth of Troy. Some even suggested that a famous mural by the great Greek painter Polygnotos showing the sack of Troy served as a model for the relief. The obvious numerical superiority of the defenders however, and the prominence of the enthroned couple and their entourage on the city walls, are very hard to reconcile with the story of the Trojan war. Most modern scholars therefore believe that the siege depicts a real military event from the life of the local dynast to whom the heroon was dedicated. The city on the Trysa frieze is surrounded with a strong wall with towers placed at regular intervals and two small gates or sally ports, depicted in an early attempt at linear perspective. A building with a central acroterion is visible within the city. A great number of defenders man the walls, hurling stones with their hands or using slings on the attackers below. A group of assailants is about to storm the right sally port, and two long, phalanx-like rows of defenders descend to meet them. The centre of the composition is dominated by the city’s ruler and his wife, probably the local dynast himself. To the right several figures seem to be fleeing the city. This slab, the first to the left from the upper frieze band, marks the transition from a land battle on the left to the siege in the centre. Both events are separated by a tree, visible in the middle. To the left two hoplites in full armour fight each other, to the right the depiction of the siege begins with two defenders in oriental dress, depicted on a much smaller scale, hurling stones from the top of a tower. From this point on, both frieze bands are united into one composition. For the Trysa heroon in general see also A 119a.

Bibliography:
O. Benndorf and G. Niemann, Das Heroon von Gjölbaschi-Trysa (Vienna 1889) esp. 51; 123-129 pls. 11; 112-113 The basic first publication of the monument.
F. Eichler, Die Reliefs des Heroon von Gjölbaschi-Trysa (Vienna 1950) esp. 61-63 pls. 18-21 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. p. 5 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.
W. A. P. Childs, The City-Reliefs of Lycia [= Princeton Monographs in Art and Archaeology XLII] (Princeton N. J. 1978) esp. 13-14; 31-36; 78 pls. 1.2; 13.2-17 Shows that the siege scene from Trysa forms part of the typical iconography of Lycian reliefs and ultimately derives from Near Eastern, particularly Assyrian sources that were slightly adapted under Greek influence.
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.