Large Parian by Praxiteles Hermes Bust Statue

This faux marble sculpture is a near match to the Parian, by Praxiteles, in the Olympia Museum and is a fine example of the Attic look, a strange blend of delicate refinement and intellectual consciousness. The God Hermes, whose name is Greek, also known as Mercury the messenger, is associated in origin with the pre-Greek people of the land. Hermes-Mercury emerges as a pastoral god and a guide to travelers. Shepherds had gradually put up heaps of stone, perhaps as landmarks. It was the God Hermes' duty to make treaties, promote commerce, and maintain the free rights-of-way for travelers. Some authorities say Hermes fathered Pan, others believe that Pan taught Hermes to play the pipes. When the Greek-speaking people arrived in the peninsula they referred to these stones as herma, meaning stone heap. The true name of the god was probably withheld by those being invaded.