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Hermes of Aegium

Hermes of Aegium is a life-size marble statue of the Greek god Hermes, messenger of the gods. It was discovered in Aigio, Achaia, around the middle of the 19th century and is now kept in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Carved from Pentelic marble, the statue stands 171 cm tall and is a Roman-period work with features linked to Lysippan influence. Hermes is shown standing in a clear contrapposto, with his weight on the left leg and the right leg relaxed and bent. A chlamys falls from his left shoulder, and he holds a pouch in his right hand and a missing caduceus in his left. The sculpture is notable for its exceptionally good state of preservation.

Hermes of Aegium, a light-colored marble statue of a nude male figure with a draped cloth over one shoulder and arm, standing against a dark red background.
Hermes of Aegium shown as a full-length marble statue with a draped cloth over one shoulder and arm.
October 2015 © · CC0
Hermes of Aegium marble statue of a nude male figure with drapery over one shoulder and a tree trunk support
Hermes of Aegium shown as a marble statue in a relaxed standing pose with drapery over one shoulder.
November 2009 © · Attribution
Hermes of Aegium marble statue of a nude male figure with a draped garment over his left arm
Hermes of Aegium shown as a marble statue of a nude male figure with a draped garment over one arm.
March 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hermes of Aegium marble statue, shown full length with a draped cloth over his left shoulder and arm beside a support on a red background.
Hermes of Aegium in marble, shown as a full-length statue with drapery over one arm.
January 2009 © · CC BY 2.0
White marble statue of Hermes of Aegium in a nude contrapposto pose with drapery over one shoulder and a support at his side.
Hermes of Aegium, shown here as a white marble statue with drapery over one shoulder and a supporting column beside him.
© Vaffier, Hubert (1834-1897). Photographe. Donateur · Public domain

Identification

TitleHermes of Aegium
Greek titleΕρμής του Αιγίου
Original-language titleHermes de Egión
TypeStatue
SubjectHermes, the Greek messenger god

Historical context

DateAugustan period, late 1st century BC to early 1st century AD
PeriodRoman period
Historical contextCreated during the reign of Augustus
Probable functionFunerary sculpture

Creator

Stylistic influenceLysippan influence

Discovery and provenance

Discovery locationAigio (ancient Aegium), Achaea, Peloponnese, southern Greece
Discovery date1860
Name originNamed after Aegium, where it was found
AcquisitionPurchased by the archaeological society
Purchase price12,000 drachmas
Accession number241
Condition when foundNearly intact and in excellent state of preservation

Physical characteristics

ConditionNearly intact, with minor damage
Condition of attributesThe upper part of the bag is missing; the caduceus is not preserved
Height171 cm
HairShort, tousled hair carved as crescent-shaped locks framing the face low on the forehead
HeadIdealized, with strong features and tilted to the left
PoseStanding in contrapposto, with weight on the left leg; right leg relaxed, bent at the knee, and drawn slightly to the side and back
ScaleLife-size

Materials

MaterialPentelic marble
Support materialMarble

Appearance

DraperyA chlamys hangs from the left shoulder, wrapped around the left arm, and drapes over the support
SupportTree-trunk form
Right-hand attributeBag
Left-hand attributeCaduceus
Facial featuresHard features

Comparisons

ComparisonHas affinities with the Hermes of Atalanti and the Hermes of Andros

Significance

Quality assessmentConsidered of inferior quality, especially compared with the Hermes of Andros