By the late 5th century, it had become an established Athenian tradition to hold communal funerals to pay respect to soldiers that perished during combat. The “soul cases” of the dead were displayed in a single tent for three days for offerings to be made. After the third day, a cavalcade was held, with ten cypress coffins carrying the bodies of the dead, one for each of the Athenian tribes, and another for indistinguishable bodies, afterwards the war heroes were buried at a public grave. The last…
Words 646 - Pages 3