Sculpture of Greek God Hermes Found in Athens

News November 15, 2020

(Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports)
SHARE:
Athens Hermes Sculpture
(Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports)

ATHENS, GREECE—According to a statement released by Greece’s Ministry of Culture and Sports, municipal workers discovered a fragment of an ancient sculpture built into a sewer line under Aiolou Street, near St. Irene Square. The head is thought to depict Hermes, the herald of the gods and protector of travelers, and may have been part of a column placed at a crossroads to serve as a road sign. The style of the artwork suggests it was carved in the fourth or early third century B.C. by the sculptor Alkamenos. To read about a marble relief fragment depicting Hermes, go to “Not Quite Ancient.”

  • Features September/October 2020

    Walking Into New Worlds

    Native traditions and novel discoveries tell the migration story of the ancestors of the Navajo and Apache

    Read Article
    (Courtesy Jack Ives/Apachean Origins Project)
  • Letter from Alcatraz September/October 2020

    Inside the Rock’s Surprising History

    Before it was an infamous prison, Fort Alcatraz played a key role defending the West Coast

    Read Article
    (Hans Blossey/Alamy Stock Photo)
  • Artifacts September/October 2020

    Neolithic Fishhook

    Read Article
    (Svein V. Nielsen, Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo)
  • Digs & Discoveries September/October 2020

    Siberian Island Enigma

    Read Article
    (Andrei Panin; Petra Doeve)