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Mausoleum of Hecatomnus

Milas (Mylasa), Asia minor (Turkey)

4th century BCE

30*36 m

The Mausoleum of Hecatomnus was discovered in 2010 when men were arrested for illegal digging for antiquities. A marble sarcophagus and numerous frescoes were discovered in the tomb, although it was believed many relics had already been taken from the tomb and sold on the black market. Recently a golden crown from the tomb has been identified and agreed to be returned to Turkey. The tomb is very important for understanding of Carian art and craftsmanship as it was built by their best architects and sculptors and one of the strongest claims for this site is that it is supposed to have been used as a reference to build, few years later, the famous Mausoleum in Halicarnassus (The tomb of Mausolus, his son) at Halicarnassus. The tomb's walls are decorated in colored frescos that are in need of immediate conservation. The chamber held an elaborately carved marble sarcophagus with a relief of a bearded, reclining man, believed to depict Hecatomnus.

On the sarcophagus friezes are family scenes. On the long edge; a dish lying on a cedar, representative of the deceased dynasty (may be Hekatomnos, Mausolos or Idrieus), looking at him with sadness, and possibly extended to him by his wife; They have a farewell scene represented by their children with toys and other family relatives' gifts. The other percentage is to show how powerful and mighty the king is; theres a hunting scene bringing a lion to its knees. Persian and Hellenic motifs are used together; In a sense, the new information that will be obtained from this unique work, which is the synthesis of the West and the East, will provide significant gains to the world of archeology.

Hecatomnus was appointed by the Persian king to command the naval forces destined to take part in the war against Evagoras of Cyprus; but the operations of the war were at that time allowed to linger; and it appears that Hecatomnus himself shared in the spirit of disaffection towards Persia at that time so general; as when hostilities were at length resumed in earnest against Evagoras, he not only took no part in support of the Persian monarchy, but secretly supplied Evagoras with sums of money to raise mercenary troops. No notice, however, seems to have been taken of this act of treachery, a circumstance for which the disorganised state of the Persian monarchy will fully account: and Hecatomnus continued to hold possession of Caria in a state of virtual independence until his death. The date of this cannot be ascertained with certainty, but we learn from Isocrates that he was still ruling in 380 BCE. He left three sons, Mausolus, Idrieus and Pixodarus – all of whom – in their turn, succeeded him in the sovereignty; and two daughters, Artemisia and Ada, who were married to their brothers Mausolus and Idrieus. Hecatomnus was a native of Mylasa, and made that city his capital and the seat of his government: hence we find on his coins the figure of Zeus Labrandenos, represented as walking and carrying a labrys over his shoulder, from the celebrated temple of that name near Mylasa.