noun
- Plural of herma; stone pillars or posts topped with a bust or head, especially of Hermes, used in ancient Greece as boundary markers or decorative objects.
Usage: classical antiquity; plural form
Examples
- The ancient Greeks placed hermai along roadsides to mark property boundaries.
- Hermai depicting Hermes were common in Athenian gardens and public spaces.
- Archaeologists discovered several hermai during excavations of the classical site.
- The hermai served both practical and religious purposes in ancient Greek culture.