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Saturday, August 4, 2012

The Mutilation of the Herms: Unpacking an Ancient Mystery

The Mutilation of the Herms: Unpacking an Ancient Mystery
Debra Hamel
5/5 stars

In this short work, Hamel writes succinctly and humorously about the an unsettling event for the citizens of ancient Athens--the night that most of the herms (priapic statues of the Greek god Hermes)were vandalized. Hamel explains why this incident was important and gives an interesting account of the both the response of Athens and the possible reasons for the vandalism. This is a quick, well written and fascinating read, which is happily accessible to the layperson.



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