Petosiris in his Tomb at Dachla: Venerating the Deceased in Roman Egypt.

Abstract

The paper investigates the interesting classical figure of Petosiris in his Roman tomb at El-Mazawaka necropolis of Dakhla, who wears the traditional Greek garment of the chiton and the himation. It explores the high appeal of Petosiris to appear in this costume in his tomb? Is this a kind of a fashionable Hellenistic’s influence or it still has its Egyptian concept? Also, the paper highlights the funerary cult for the deceased in his tomb, through the offering-priests who venerate Petosiris on the walls of his tomb. Furthermore, the article analysis the ritual meaning of the objects in the hands of Petosiris. The classical figure of Petosiris confirms his high status as one of the elites in the community, as well as the mixture of Egyptian and Hellenistic - Romano art, and in fact,itdoes not resemble the ethic of the patron of the deceased either Egyptian, Greek, or Roman.