AIUK45 no. 27 Herm commemorating a foster-child [of Herodes Atticus]

Herm commemorating a foster-child [of Herodes Atticus]

AIUK 4.5 (BM, Dedications) no. 27 Date: ca. 150-180 AD

. . . Foster-child Phallus^[1]

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Greek text

References:

AIUK 4.5 (BM, Dedications) no. 27 (Translated text) (AIUK) (AIO)

IG II² 3976 (PHI)

GIBM I 55

Translation by: Peter Liddel, Polly Low

AIO Images: 1

Monument type: Herm

Inscription type: Herm (private)

Findspot: Athens (BM 1816,0610.382)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This inscription derives from the Elgin collection. Its findspot is unknown, but it is likely that Elgin acquired it in Athens and that it originally stood in Athens or Attica.

The monument is a partially-preserved herm. It would originally have been a quadrangular marble pillar with tenons on its sides and a phallus on its front, which supported a bust (though in this case there are no traces of tenons and the upper section of the monument is not preserved).

This herm performed a commemorative function. What little survives of its text is closely comparable to a set of posthumous commemorative monuments created by Herodes Atticus for his three favoured trophimoi (that is, wards or foster sons), Achilles, Polydeukes (also known as Polydeukion), and Memnon; all three died at a young age. For a much better-preserved example of such a herm, and further discussion of this form of commemoration and its significance, see AIUK 11, no. 15, a herm commemorating Polydeukion. We cannot know which of the three trophimoi was commemorated on this herm; nor can we know if this herm also included the long curse-text, intended to protect the monument from harm, which appears on AIUK 11, no. 15 and most of the other similar monuments.

For fuller discussion of this inscription see AIUK 4.5 (BM, Dedications), no. 27.

Added: 15 Mar 2022
Updated: 27 Jun 2024
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ID: AIO_2299