Ancient Greek hip herms: iconography and style

Abstract

The earliest image of a hip herm occurs on the coins of Kroton (420-376 ВС). All extant sculptures of this type were made later. One of the earliest examples - an asymmetric double-sided herm from the Taman Peninsular, which according to its inscription was dedicated to Aphrodite Urania, the Lady of Apatur (Sanctuary), by Demarchos son of Skythos in the reign of Leukonos (389/388-349/348 BC). The closest analogy to the draped figure is represented by the famous herm from Rhamnous (323 BC) which carries an ephebic dedication. Another double-sided herm with the same rare asymmetric form was found in the Athenian Agora. E. Harrison very carefully interpreted the statue as Late Hellenistic or Early Roman because of its unusual traits, but comparison with the dedication by Demarchos suggests that the herm from the Agora could possibly be dated earlier.

Pausanias had different ways of describing herms and hip herms. He referred to hip herms as statues. The style of hip herms is usually free of archaic elements. In the second century BC there were attempts to represent copies of statues as herms. J. Marcade has described the iconography of herms of Harpocrates on Delos. Herms of Heracles with his cornucopia seem to be replicas based on a Hellenstic original. Another type of herm with the figure of Heracles covered in a lion's skin is represented on four funeral stelai from Smirna and Halicarnassos. These herms are similar to replicas of Hellenistic statues of the aged Heracles (Cavala type) and may originate from the same prototype.