<figure id="attachment_145901" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-145901" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-145901" src="https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/roman-hermes-statue-found-ancient-aspendos.jpg" alt="roman-hermes-statue-found-ancient-aspendos" width="1200" height="690" srcset="https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/roman-hermes-statue-found-ancient-aspendos.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/roman-hermes-statue-found-ancient-aspendos-300x173.jpg 300w, https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/roman-hermes-statue-found-ancient-aspendos-1024x589.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/roman-hermes-statue-found-ancient-aspendos-768x442.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145901" class="wp-caption-text">A statue of Hermes was discovered in the ancient city of Aspendos, Antalya, southern Türkiye. Source: Yasemin Kalyoncuoğlu/AA Photo.</figcaption></figure>
&nbsp;
Turkish archaeologists unearthed an ancient statue of Hermes, the winged messenger of the gods, in the Greco-Roman city of Aspendos. It was found alongside objects associated with other major deities in Greek mythology.
&nbsp;
<h2>Turkish Archaeologists Uncover Fragmented Hermes Statue</h2>
<figure id="attachment_145902" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-145902" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-145902" src="https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/aspendos-antalya-turkiye-archaeological-site-hermes.jpg" alt="aspendos-antalya-turkiye-archaeological-site-hermes" width="750" height="563" srcset="https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/aspendos-antalya-turkiye-archaeological-site-hermes.jpg 750w, https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/aspendos-antalya-turkiye-archaeological-site-hermes-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145902" class="wp-caption-text">The excavation site at Aspendos. Source: Source: Yasemin Kalyoncuoğlu/AA Photo.</figcaption></figure>
&nbsp;
Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Türkiye&#8217;s Culture and Tourism Minister, announced the discovery of a marble statue of <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/who-is-greek-god-hermes/">Hermes</a> at Aspendos, an ancient city in southern Türkiye. In a statement published on social media, Ersoy said, &#8220;In Aspendos, the silent witness of time, figures that have been buried for centuries have come to light. During the ongoing excavations within the scope of our Future Heritage project, a statue of Hermes from the Roman Imperial Period was uncovered.&#8221;
&nbsp;
Dating back to the late 2nd or early 3rd century CE, the statue of Hermes was found in pieces within the ruins of a nymphaeum, an ancient fountain monument dedicated to <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/nymphs-in-greek-myths-dryads-naiads-oread/">nymphs</a>. The fountain is located near an entrance gate, where the current excavation project began last year. Experts are reassembling and restoring the Hermes statue on-site. In the same area of Aspendos, archaeologists unearthed the heads of <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/laughter-loving-aphrodite/">Aphrodite</a>, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, and Eros, the god of love and sex. They also found sculptural fragments they believe belong to statues of <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/myths-about-artemis-greek-goddess/">Artemis</a>, the goddess of the hunt, and Nemesis, the goddess of retribution.
&nbsp;
The remains of Aspendos are located in the present-day Antalya province of Türkiye. During the reign of the Roman Empire, Aspendos was an important center of culture and trade. The city boasted the Roman Theatre of Aspendos, which was capable of hosting 15,000 spectators. Dating back to the 2nd century CE, it remains one of the best preserved ancient theatres from Greco-Roman history.
&nbsp;
<h2>Hermes: Divine Messenger of the Gods</h2>
<figure id="attachment_145903" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-145903" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-145903" src="https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/state-hermes-found-ancient-aspendos-turkiye.jpeg" alt="state-hermes-found-ancient-aspendos-turkiye" width="750" height="501" srcset="https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/state-hermes-found-ancient-aspendos-turkiye.jpeg 750w, https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/state-hermes-found-ancient-aspendos-turkiye-300x200.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145903" class="wp-caption-text">The Hermes statue is being restored on-site. Source: Yasemin Kalyoncuoğlu/AA Photo.</figcaption></figure>
&nbsp;
According to ancient Greek mythology, <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/hermes-god-titles-epithets/">Hermes</a> is the divine messenger of the gods. With his winged sandals, he could pass between the divine and human realms, helping guide souls into the underworld. He also served as the patron god of travelers, merchants, shepherds, and thieves. Legend has it that Hermes, the son of Zeus and Maia, made a name for himself very early on. As an infant, he managed to steal his half-brother <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/apollo-greek-god-myths/">Apollo</a>&#8216;s prized cattle.
&nbsp;
At nearly five-and-a-half feet tall, the marble statue found at Aspendos depicts Hermes on an inscribed pedestal with a ram icon at his feet. He wears a cloak and holds a money pouch in his right hand. In his left hand, he carries a characteristic <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/what-does-the-snake-and-staff-symbol-mean/">caduceus</a>, a winged staff with two snakes coiled around it. Experts say the statue&#8217;s pose, with its right knee bent slightly and its weight concentrated on the left foot, corresponds to the movement and naturalism of the Roman Imperial Period style. As such, it was most likely created in the late 2nd century or early 3rd century CE.

The marble statue, depicting the divine messenger of Greek mythology, dates back to the late 2nd or early 3rd century CE.

Roman-Era Hermes Statue Found in Ancient City of Aspendos

ancient-egyptian-town-discovered-near-alexandria

The settlement dates back 3,500 years, challenging the notion that the area was not populated until the Hellenistic Period.

Ancient Egyptian Town Discovered Near Alexandria

Before Rome was a Republic, it was ruled by a series of Roman kings.

The Roman Kings Who Ruled Rome Before the Republic

One must understand Socrates’s daemon to understand his philosophy. What if his daemon was more than a myth?

What Was Socrates’s Daemon?

As its name implies, the Reformation was a movement aimed at changing the established church. But some believed it did not go far enough.

What Was the Radical Reformation?

walking around vienna tips understand history

Like many cities in Europe, part of what makes Vienna an interesting place to visit is its intricate architecture and cultural history.

Walking Around Vienna: Pro Tips to Understand the City and Its History

Cats were so revered in ancient Egypt that they were even mummified to accompany people into the afterlife. Cats were pets, protectors, and eternal companions.

Mummified Cats: Companion Cats and Feline Worship in Ancient Egypt

Agamemnon and Menelaus of the house of Atreides, heroes of the Trojan War, were both plagued by the hereditary curse of Atreus.

The Curse Of Atreus and the House of Atreides in Greek Mythology

You Searched: zeus