Believed to depict the Greek messenger god, the statue was uncovered by accident just south of the Acropolis in Athens, near the 1,863-year-old Odeon of Herodes Atticus theater that’s still in use today.
Greek Ministry of CultureThe presumed Hermes Ludovisi statue that was discovered near the Acropolis in Athens .
Gas proletarian prepare to lay pipe near the Odeon of Herodes Atticus — an ancient house in Athens , Greece — made a scandalous discovery at the foot of the Acropolis . After apprehend a ditch , they came across an ancient marble statue of a naked homo , believed to be a depiction of the Greek god Hermes in a way make love as Hermes Ludovisi .
According to experts from the Ministry of Culture , the statue was in “ quite honorable condition ” and found “ inside a complex body part built with orthogonal bricks ” among “ villas built by fat businessperson in that geological era . ” Other objects were discover at the internet site as well , but archaeologists have yet to identify them all .
Greek Ministry of CultureThe presumed Hermes Ludovisi statue that was discovered near the Acropolis in Athens.
The Discovery Of The Possible Hermes Statue Near The Acropolis
On December 9 , 2024 , workers began poke a ditch to instal pipes to furnish instinctive gas in the neighbourhood near the Acropolis . To their surprisal , they excavate an ancient marble statue and several other artifacts from theancient Romanera .
According to theGreek newsman , the southerly side of the Acropolis was once a district of luxurious private residences and villas in the Roman earned run average , roughly between the first and fifth centuries C.E. The implication is that the likely Hermes Ludovisi statue may have been part of one such building .
Wikimedia CommonsAt more than 1,850 years old , the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is still in use today .
Wikimedia CommonsAt more than 1,850 years old, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is still in use today.
“ In this area , to the Confederate States of the Acropolis , during imperial times between the first and 5th C [ C.E. ] , some of the most splendid urban mansions of Athens were built . These edifices are grounds of a city that was an object of wonderment and attraction for wealthy and well - educate citizens , ” the Ministry said . “ Their mansion were high decorated with mosaic level and sculptures , which were works from illustrious Neo - Attic workshops . ”
Experts from the Ephorate of Antiquities complete documentation of the discovery and are design to transport it to a conservation research lab in Athens .
What Is A Hermes Ludovisi Statue?
Wikimedia CommonsThe restored Hermes Ludovisi statue in the Palazzo Altemps .
Hermes Ludovisi is a specific marble statue representingHermes , the Greek courier god , in his role as Psychopompus — the guide of soul to the infernal region . This R.C. - era sculpture , date from the late 1st to early 2nd century C.E. , is conceive to be a written matter of a 5th - century B.C.E. Greek original , possibly crafted by the renowned sculptor Phidias or an creative person from his school .
In this portrayal , Hermes is depicted as young and beardless , a departure from early representations that often showed him as old and bearded . He put on a petasos , a traveler ’s hat , to punctuate his function as a divine messenger and traveler . The statue shows Hermes with a musing and melancholy expression , with his right arm raised in a gesture that suggests eloquence or farewell , and his left hand in the first place holding the caduceus , his herald ’s staff entwined with two snake .
Wikimedia CommonsThe restored Hermes Ludovisi statue in the Palazzo Altemps.
Wikimedia CommonsA fresco of Hermes , courier of the gods , from Pompeii .
The name Hermes Ludovisi originates from its association with the Ludovisi family , big R.C. noble . Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi develop the statue in the seventeenth C , and it became a notable piece in the Ludovisi appeal .
In 1631 , the sculptor Alessandro Algardi touch on the statue , tot elements such as the good arm , piece of the feet , the tip of the nose , and attributes like the petasos ’ lip and wing , a modest traveling bag in the remaining hired hand , and the caduceus in the right hand . These additions were afterward removed to continue the statue ’s original legitimacy .
Wikimedia CommonsA fresco of Hermes, messenger of the gods, from Pompeii.
Currently , the Hermes Ludovisi is housed in the Palazzo Altemps , part of the National Roman Museum in Rome . This museum showcases an extensive collection of classical sculpture , with the Hermes Ludovisi being one of its most grand exhibits .
After reading about the discovery of this Hermes statue in Athens , learn all about theStatue of Zeusat Olympia , one of theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World . Then , read about the majestic ascension and withering fall of theColossus of Rhodes .
