Final answer:
The Grave Stele of Hegeso functioned as a memorial marker that commemorated the life of the deceased, depicted social customs, and signified the status and beliefs of Classical Greece.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Grave Stele of Hegeso in Classical Greece functions as a memorial marker that depicts a deceased woman, possibly Hegeso, examining a piece of jewelry handed to her by a maidservant. This scene, etched into the stone, not only commemorates the life of the individual but also reflects the social customs and practices concerning death and the afterlife in ancient Greece. Grave stelae like that of Hegeso were a common feature in the grave circles of elite individuals, such as those found in Grave Circle A at Mycenae, where tombs held valuable funeral goods, signaling the status and lineage of the deceased.
These grave markers were part of larger funerary practices which included elaborate burial ceremonies, as seen on artifacts like the Hagia Triada sarcophagus and the Dipylon Krater. The role of the stele transcends mere marking of the grave; it provides us with pictorial evidence of the customs of Classical Greece and, through its iconography and the items deposited with the dead, it also informs us about the cultural and religious beliefs of the period.