GREECE MACEDONIA EMATHIA MIEZA JUDGEMENT

Judgement Tomb

The 'Tomb of Jugdement', also called 'Tomb of Crises', is one of the most important and best-preserved Macedonian tombs discovered so far. It lies with other similar funerary monuments (the 'Tomb of the Palmettes', the 'Kinch Tomb', and the 'Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles') along the road connecting the ancient town of Mieza with Pella, the capital of the Macedonian Kingdom. Actually, the 'Tomb of the Palmettes' lies within a short walking distance from the 'Tomb of Jugdement' and both have a guard but can be visited free of charge.

The 'Tomb of Judgement', so far the largest known Macedonian tomb and dated to the last quarter of the fourth century BC, was discovered during road construction in 1954 and was excavated by Professor Petsas in 1954-1964. It was found severely damaged in antiquity and restored in 1998.

The modern name of the tomb is derived from four painted panels depicting the scene of the Crisis (Judgement) of the dead in the underworld; extremely rare in ancient iconography. - Below: The reconstruction of the panels shown in the modern shelter of the tomb is far from good.

Depicted from left to right: the deceased warrior; Hermes Psychopompos ('guide of the souls'); Aiakos, king on the island of Aegina and one of the judges of the underworld; Rhadamanthys as another judge of the underworld, brother of king Minos of Crete.