Hermes: The Messenger of the Gods, by Praxiteles 25cm Full Alabaster Statue, Ancient Greece

Hermes of Praxiteles,

Also known as the Hermes and the Infant Dionysus or the Hermes of Olympia is an ancient Greek sculpture of Hermes and the infant Dionysus. It was discovered in 1877 in the ruins of the Temple of Hera, Olympia, in Greece. The statue is traditionally attributed to Praxiteles and dated to the 4th century BC, based on a remark by the 2nd century Greek traveler Pausanias, and has made a major contribution to the definition of Praxitelean style. Its attribution is, however, the object of fierce controversy among art historians. The sculpture is unlikely to have been one of Praxiteles famous works, as no ancient replicas of it have been identified. The documentary evidence associating the work with Praxiteles is based on a passing mention by the 2nd century AD traveler Pausanias. The Olympia site was hit by an earthquake during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the final years of the third century C.E, collapsing the roof of the Temple of Hera and burying the statue in rubble. Nowadays the sculpture is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

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