Female bodies and dynastic legitimacy in the Nereid Monument at Xanthos

A groundbreaking analysis of the Nereid Monument at Xanthos (ca 380 BCE) reveals that female figures played a pivotal role in articulating dynastic legitimacy and continuity, challenging traditional narratives focused solely on masculinity. The study highlights two key non-mythological women: Erbbina's dynastic consort and a distressed figure amid military violence, demonstrating their narrative function within the monument's sculptural program. This innovative approach, which synthesizes visual and architectural elements from across the Aegean and Anatolia, suggests that femininity was equally significant in dynastic expressions during the fourth century BCE, foreshadowing Hellenistic artistic shifts. The research employs a detailed iconographic analysis to reinterpret the monument's symbolic significance.

Kim, P. E. (2024). Female bodies and dynastic legitimacy in the Nereid Monument at Xanthos. Anatolian Studies, 74, 129–154. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0066154624000048