Hyele, Elea, Velia - XV
Herm of Parmenides, Greek philosopher son of Pyres, born in Elea (Velia) around 520 BC.
Fragments of his poem Περί φύσεως, "On Nature", have handed down his doctrine to us. He was the main exponent of the Eleatic school and he is considered the founder of ontology. He died around the middle of the 5th century BC after visiting Athens. Late Greek and Arabic sources refer to Parmenides as the chief representative of a medical school active in Velia.
In 1962 during the excavations of Insula II of Velia, a headless herm was found in the building interpreted as the seat of the school-college of the Ούλιάδαι, ancient eleate medical γένος. The inscription on its surface:
Πα[ρ]μενείδης Πύρητος Οόλιάδης φυσικός
Parmeinides Pyretos Ouliades Physikòs
attests to the presence of a portrait of the philosopher in his hometown, also remembering him as head of the medical school. Few years later in the same area a bearded portrait head came to light, with the base of the neck intended for insertion into a herm, and the sculpture was considered pertinent to the inscribed basement previously found. The two recomposed finds are exhibited inside Velia archaeological site.
Source: Treccani, “Enciclopedia dell'arte antica: Parmenide (Παρμενίδης, Parmenides)”
Marble sculpture
1st century AD
Velia, Museo Cappella Palatina
Hyele, Elea, Velia - XV
Herm of Parmenides, Greek philosopher son of Pyres, born in Elea (Velia) around 520 BC.
Fragments of his poem Περί φύσεως, "On Nature", have handed down his doctrine to us. He was the main exponent of the Eleatic school and he is considered the founder of ontology. He died around the middle of the 5th century BC after visiting Athens. Late Greek and Arabic sources refer to Parmenides as the chief representative of a medical school active in Velia.
In 1962 during the excavations of Insula II of Velia, a headless herm was found in the building interpreted as the seat of the school-college of the Ούλιάδαι, ancient eleate medical γένος. The inscription on its surface:
Πα[ρ]μενείδης Πύρητος Οόλιάδης φυσικός
Parmeinides Pyretos Ouliades Physikòs
attests to the presence of a portrait of the philosopher in his hometown, also remembering him as head of the medical school. Few years later in the same area a bearded portrait head came to light, with the base of the neck intended for insertion into a herm, and the sculpture was considered pertinent to the inscribed basement previously found. The two recomposed finds are exhibited inside Velia archaeological site.
Source: Treccani, “Enciclopedia dell'arte antica: Parmenide (Παρμενίδης, Parmenides)”
Marble sculpture
1st century AD
Velia, Museo Cappella Palatina