Hermaphrodite, easily recognizable because of his dual gender, was the child of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Hermes, the messenger god. Here he combines not only the names of both parents but also their nurturing and protective attributes: his mantle is carefully arranged to reveal both his womanly breasts and his male genitals. In his left hand, he holds a small child-only the plump buttocks and tiny legs are preserved-representing Eros (Cupid), Aphrodite's son and frequent companion.

The soft forms of Hermaphrodite's body, particularly the rounded torso and thighs, along with the pose, point to the influence of two of the most famous Greek sculptors of the fourth century B.C., Praxiteles and Lysippos. It is probably not coincidental that the worship of Hermaphrodite as a god is first documented at that time, flourishing well into the Roman period. In the late first century B.C., the poet Ovid recast Hermaphrodite's sexual transformation as a love story. The popularity of his version may have inspired the production of small-scale statues such as this one. This piece was found in 1901 at the Villa at Fondo Bottaro just outside Pompeii, where it formed part of the domestic décor, along with wall paintings (see pp. 132-33) and other pieces of marble statuary and furniture also in the MFA's collection.

Hermaphrodite's parentage may also have contributed to his enduring role in Roman art: his mother, known in Rome as Venus, was also the mother of Aeneas, ancestor of the Roman race, and his father, known as Mercury, was associated with commerce. Here the god wears an Egyptian-style nemes headdress, indicating that an eclectic melding of cultures and styles, as well as genders, was easily accepted by Roman patrons.

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