(pl. stelae) [Ar]
A freestanding inscribed, carved, or decorated stone slab set upright in the ground, usually commemorating a person or event. Often connected with ceremonial sites or burial places; a stone slab set up in a public place, with an inscription recording a victory, treaty, or a decree; also a grave-stone. Many beautiful funeral stelae, sculptured in relief, are to be seen in the National Museum, Athens.
