Archaeologists excavating at the ancient city of Aspendos, 25 miles east of Antalya on the Turkish coast, have unearthed an incredible marble statue of Hermes, the messenger of Zeus in ancient Greek mythology. Statue fragments of other deities including Eros, Aphrodite, Artemis and Nemesis have also been discovered at the site.
According to a statement from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Monday (March 3), the large statue was discovered during excavations that took place last year among the ruins of a monumental fountain (“nymphaion”). The state is holding a purse in his right hand and his cloak and a staff (“caduceus”) in his left. A ram also features next to his left foot.
Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, said: “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. Headpieces of Aphrodite and Eros, as well as statue fragments of Artemis and Nemesis, were also discovered in the same area.”
The marble statue was found in pieces and stands on a pedestal. It has since been reassembled to a near-complete version of the monument, standing at an impressive 1.65 metres.
Based on its stylistic features, it has been dated to the Roman Imperial Period (late 2nd to early 3rd century AD).
During excavations, two marble heads, believed to belong to Aphrodite (goddess of beauty and love) and Eros (god of love), were also discovered, alongside fragments linked to Artemis (goddess of hunting) and Nemesis (symbol of justice).
Aspendos (or Aspendus) was an ancient Greco-Roman city in the Antalya province. It was situated on the Eurymedon River about 10 miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It shared a border with, and was hostile to, the ancient city of Side – one of the best-known classical sites in Turkey.
During the 5th century, Aspendos became the most important city in Pamphylia, deriding much of its wealth from trade in salt, oil and wool. It was one of the earliest cities to mint coins, issuing coinage around 500BC.
In 333BC, Alexander the Great marched into the city after capturing Perge and in 190BC the city was surrendered to the Romans. The corrupt magistrate Verres later pillages its art treasures.
The city boasts the best-preserved theatre of antiquity, the Roman Theatre of Aspendos. With a diameter of 315 feet, it provided seating for an impressive 7,000 people.
The unique 12-mile-long Roman aqueduct is, however, probably the most important monument, since the last 1.2 miles of the conduit is a well-preserved inverted siphon, rather than an open channel, which made this aqueduct famous. Nearby stand the remains of a stadium, baths, basilica and nymphaeum – a monument consecrated to the nymphs.
