Das anikonische Kultbild des Hermes im Elischen Kyllene

• Authors: Hirschler Michael

Title variants

EN

THE ANICONIC CULT IMAGE OF HERMES IN THE CITY OF CYLLENE IN ELIS

• Languages of publication: DE

Abstracts

EN

At first glance, the image and functions of the Greek god Hermes appear to be well known: Hermes, wearing winged sandals and the chlamys, was the messenger of the gods and the protector of travelers and thieves, as well as the guide of souls on their way to the Underworld. It must not be forgotten, however, that all these elements are based on the so-called Homeric religion. In fact, the attributes and figure of this god were surely more multifaceted than the Homeric poems and hymns actually tell us. The present contribution is devoted to the aniconic cult image of Hermes in the harbor town of Cyllene in Elis, where the god was worshipped as a statue in the shape of a large phallus. Representations of the male sexual organ are not uncommon in the cult of Hermes; rather, they were an essential attribute of herms. Nevertheless, the meaning of the phallus is still under discussion. This paper focuses on the significance of the aniconic cult image and shows how it can be linked with the character of Hermes as a god of fertility.

Keywords

EN

Phallus; Pausanias; Aniconism; fertility cult

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Eirene. Studia Graeca et Latina
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 51
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 197-219

Contributors

author

Hirschler Michael