THEORY

Simulacra, all the ornaments that were displayed in temples for the spectators’ eyes, retained their names more effectively, as subsequently, almost all decorations in these places dedicated to gods consisted mainly of statues.

All statues larger than those of an ordinary man were generally called signa, statues; those that were smaller were referred to as sigilla, small statues. There were also other figures that did not represent the full human body, which the ancients called hermae, or flemmata, busts of Mercury or images of ancestors. These busts stood on square trunks, some longer, others shorter, often tapering into a pedestal. Modern times have given them the name Termes, where one could change the head at will. Many of these busts generally depicted a head of Mercury, hence their name: Hermes, in Greek εμρης, meaning Mercury. Many such figures were placed around tombs to preserve the memory of the interred. It was customary to place statues of ancestors, in Latin flemmata, in vestibules, or in the halls at the entrance of houses; they were symbols of nobility and antiquity before the invention of coats of arms, consisting of simple busts showing only the head, with the neck cut off at the top of the shoulders and chest.

Translation Notes:

Simulacra: This term refers to representations or likenesses of entities, often spiritual or divine, used in a religious context.

Signa/Sigilla: These Latin terms are used to denote statues and smaller statues, respectively.

Hermae/Flemmata: Ancient figures known as busts, often associated with Mercury or ancestors.