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Hermes Criophorus

Hermes Criophorus is a second-century AD marble sculpture depicting the Greek god Hermes as a shepherd and protector of pasture. It is a Roman copy of a Greek original from the fifth century BC. Made of pentelic marble and standing 1.80 m tall, the figure is shown frontally nude in contrapposto, with his weight on his right leg. Hermes wears a chlamys over his left shoulder and a petasos on his head, while grasping a ram by the horns and dragging it upward. Discovered in Troezenia in southern Greece in the late nineteenth century, the sculpture is now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Hermes Criophorus marble statue with a ram beside his leg
Hermes Criophorus, a marble statue showing a nude male figure with a ram beside him.
© Copy after Naukydes ? · CC BY-SA 2.5
Hermes Criophorus marble statue of a nude male figure with a cap, a draped cloth over one shoulder, and a ram beside his leg.
Hermes Criophorus shown as a marble statue of a nude male figure with a ram at his side.
August 2007 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hermes Criophorus marble statue of a nude male figure standing beside a ram, with both arms missing.
Hermes Criophorus shown as a marble statue with a ram at his side and both arms missing.
July 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hermes Criophorus marble statue of a youthful nude figure beside a ram, with a cap and drapery over one shoulder.
Hermes Criophorus shown as a weathered marble statue beside a damaged ram.
January 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hermes Criophorus marble statue in profile with a ram beside him, wearing a cap and draped garment.
Hermes Criophorus shown in profile with a ram beside him in the museum gallery.
August 2007 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

Typemarble sculpture
TitleHermes Criophorus

Historical context

Date2nd century AD
Original Greek prototype date5th century BC

Creator

Attribution of original workAttributed to Naukydes of Argos
Artistic schoolSchool of Polycleitus

Materials

MaterialPentelic marble

Physical characteristics

Height1.80 m
Size relative to lifeslightly over life-size
Conditionmostly preserved, with some evident damage

Appearance

Headgearpetasos
Clothingchlamys fastened on the left shoulder, hanging down and covering the left arm
Head orientationturned to the right
Depicted figureHermes
Posefrontally nude, body slightly turned to the left, in contrapposto, weight on the right leg with the left leg relaxed

Iconography and meaning

Iconographic roleHermes as god of pastures and shepherds
Distinctive iconographyunlike other ram-bearing sculptures, Hermes drags the animal upward instead of carrying it on his shoulders
Missing attributecaduceus, not preserved
Action shownHermes drags the ram upward
Ram positioncrouching on its hind legs at Hermes' right side
Attribute held in right handa ram by the horns

Discovery and provenance

Discovery placeTroezen, southern Greece
Discovery date1890
Discovery contextfound during excavations carried out by the French School under Ernest Legrand

Location and ownership

Current museumNational Archaeological Museum of Athens
Current collectioncollection of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Inventory number243

History and restoration

Missing partsright arm absent below the shoulder; left hand missing; anterior parts of the arms missing
Restorationsfeet and parts of the thighs restored with plaster; head reattached to the body