Stone Hermeracles

Archaeological museum of ancient Messene

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    4209 1
4209 1
4209 1

Stone Hermeracles

3rd century BCE

Archaeological museum of ancient Messene

Archaeological site of ancient Messene

Hermaic stele

Limestone

Width: 31 cm x Height: 85 cm

Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 4

Limestone hermaic stele with integral bulky arms. It was found fallen at the west stoa of the Gymnasion. It depicts Heracles wearing the lion's skin on his head, tied in front of the chest with a knot (Hercules knot). Above the relief genitals of the stele an inscription reads: ΦΙΛΛΙΑΔΑΣ ΝΕΩΝΟΣ ΗΡΑΚΛ[ΕΙ] ΑΝΕΘΗΚ[ΕΝ] Filliadas was probably associated with the pro-Macedonian family of the Filliads (during the time of Alexander III), i.e. Filliades and his sons Neon and Theasylochos. The austere expression of the hero-god and his facial and hair features reflect conservatism and a naive archaism, both attributable to the type of the sculpt (a hermaic stele) as well as to the local messenian workshop where it was made in the 3rd cent. BCE.