HERMs

Herms are a type of ancient monumental sculpture from classical Greece, typically consisting of a truncated stone pillar surmounted by the head (and often the torso) of the god Hermes. The figure is usually shown wearing a traveler's hat (petasos) and, in some versions, holding a staff or caduceus. The form can be a simple bust on a squared shaft or a more fully modeled statue integrated into the stone.

Function and distribution: Herms served as boundary markers, road markers, and markers of sacred or civic spaces. They were widely placed at property lines, gatehouses, crossroads, and city boundaries, functioning as protective and navigational objects. Because Hermes was associated with travelers, boundaries, and commerce, the statues were believed to ward off misfortune and to guide those passing by.

Historical context: The practice of erecting herms spans from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods and continued into Roman times in various regions. In Athens, herms were common along public routes and near entrances to important sites, reflecting both religious and civic roles. A notable historical episode is the mutilation of many herms in 415 BCE, shortly before the Sicilian Expedition, an act linked in ancient sources to political unrest and sacrilegious provocation.

Etymology and usage: The term derives from Hermes, the Greek god, and the sculpture type is referred to in English as herms (plural hermai in Greek). In addition to architectural or street markers, the form influenced later Hellenistic and Roman decorative sculpture and appears in various garden or architectural contexts as a classical motif.