The grave steel of the shipwrecked Demokleides – A minimalist work from the 4th century BC about the immenseness of the sea, the solitude and the pain of a heroic death.
The deceased Demokleides, son of Demetrius - his name is engraved on the epistyle, above his head - is depicted sitting on the ground with his knees raised, in front of the prow of a war trireme, as indicated by the protruding, curved ram.
He wears a tunic with short sleeves and sits on his chlamys. He has placed his weapons, a shield and a Corinthian helmet, next to him. He was a hoplite.
He supports his head with his right hand, resting on his knees, immersed in immense sadness for his lost life or for his cruel fate that destined him to remain unburied far from his homeland.
The sculptor emphasizes the idea of the infinite sea by shrinking the figure of Demokleides, placing him high on the stele, leaving a large void to occupy the greater area of the column, thus emphasizing the dramatic effect of his story.
The abstraction and minimalism of the column are accentuated by the absence of colors that would once have emphasized the details of the ship. The lower smooth part of the column would have been colored light blue to indicate the sea.
Both the armament and especially the ship's ram testify that the young man met a heroic death in a naval battle. The stele was probably erected by his family over his cenotaph, in his homeland, since the sea became his grave.
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