Procession of the Gods (Hermes, Athena, and Artemis)

myminifactory

This archaistic relief depicts a procession of Hermes (the god of Trade), Athena (the goddess of Wisdom and War), and Artemis (the goddess of the Wilderness, the Hunt and Wild Animals. Possibly, an illustration of an ancient Greek myth about Hermes and the Crocus Flower as Hermes is depicted with a flower and followed by Athena with her helmet taken off as a sign of grief. Crocus was known as a friend of Hermes. The myth says, that once these friends were throwing the disc to each other, Hermes fatally wounded Crocus. Gods transformed three drops of the blood that spilt on the earth into a small flower with shiny stamens named after Crocus to honour the Greek hero. This marble relief is currently displayed in The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg