Herms : Road Signs of Ancient Ahe

Herms were marble or bronze four-cornered pillars surmounted by a bust. Male herms were given genitals. Herms originated in piles of stones (ἕρματα) used as road- and boundary-markers, but early on developed into the god *Hermes (but see that entry). As representations of Hermes they were viewed also as protectors of houses and cities. The Athenians claimed credit for the developed sculptural form (Paus. 1. 24. 3), and herms were particularly common in Athens, at crossroads, in the countryside, in the Agora, at the entrance of the Acropolis, in sanctuaries, and at private doorways.