Often the traveler, especially Walker, sees along the road or at the entrance of the cities stone markers, landmarks and even piles of stones.<\/b><\/p>\n
\n\tOften we also see these milestones, blocks of stone or cairns with the function of marking a territory, designate a special place, as the grave of a deceased, or define a space. In the cult language we call these milestones "herm<\/em>" or "Herma<\/em>", in ancient Greek \u1f15ρμα. word that means "rock, mound<\/em>". They also had a protective and apotropaic<\/em> function to "turn away<\/em>" all harm or evil influences (from Greek \u1f00ποτρ\u03adπω, apotrép\u014d<\/em>, "away, apart<\/em>", of \u1f00π\u03cc, apo, "away" and τρ\u03adπω, trepo<\/em>, “climbed, spin<\/em>"). These cairns were usually crowned with the bust or figure of Hermes<\/em> or Mercury.<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tBut Hermes<\/em> is a god in Greek mythology, son of Zeus and Maya. He is the messenger of the gods, the protector of the travelers, the god of merchants and thieves (the ancients had gods for everything). The Greek Hermes<\/em> corresponds to the Roman god Mercury<\/em> (note the connection with the word "market<\/em>").<\/p>\n \n\tSo the milestone, the stone block represents the god Hermes and so in the ancient world are very common these stone markers square shaped finished with bust of the god Hermes<\/em>, sometimes adorned with male genitalia, especially with the phallus or penis as a symbol of fertility.<\/p>\n \n\tThis god in this function is similar to the Roman "Terminus<\/em>" (meaning more evident and clear). These "Hermes<\/em>", as I said, were placed along and at the crossroads of the roads (among other things Hermes is the god of travelers), at the gates of the cities, at the limits and boundaries of populations, etc. . They may have their origin in the early Greek and Roman custom of forming piles of stone in certain points along the way; the traveler passing threw its little stone by making a wish. The fact that they are of stone gives us back to ancient beliefs and cults in which the stone has a spirit or special religious value.<\/p>\n \n\tIn Spain remains from old time that custom in some parts: in Aragon are called "peirones<\/em>", in the Molina de Aragón (Guadalajara) (where they are called "pairones<\/em>") are numerous vertical prismatic stones, whose top is usually a religious image. They are certainly related to the old "Hermes".<\/p>\n \n\tNo less striking is how endure to this day customs that have lost all meaning and how persist old names, although reduced already to specially educated circles.<\/p>\n \n\tRegarding "terminus<\/em>", is convenient to make some observations. Personified and deified is a Roman god who protects the limits of both private and public property. Tradition attributes to Numa<\/em> the custom of placing markers or boundary stones to delimit the property, which is protected by Iuppiter Terminus<\/em>, in whose honor festivals Terminalia<\/em> are celebrated in Februar, 23.. (Fast Ov.. Ii. 639 ff<\/em>).<\/p>\n \n\tBy extension the word "terminus<\/em>", which went to Spanish (“término<\/em>”) also means limit, end of something and territory bounded by terms (for example: municipality), and even the word that defines a concept (linguistic term).<\/p>\n \n\tAlong the noun is the verb "termina<\/em>r" "end<\/em>" to mean stop or end of something and the compounds 'determine<\/em>' (set limits or terms between which something is in real or figurative sense) and "exterminate<\/em>" (completely finish , destroy, take you beyond the limits or terms).<\/p>\n \n\tI then offer translation of Ovid's<\/em> text in which he describes the festival of Terminalia<\/em> to deepen the idea of the importance of religious rites and acts to set the rules and laws of society, in this case, the private ownership of land : Ovid: Fasti, 2, 639 ff. <\/em> (Translated by JAMES G. FRAZER )<\/p>\n \n\tWhen the night had passed, see to it that the god who marks the boundaries of the tilled lands receives his wonted honour. O Terminus, whether thou art a stone or stump buried in the field, thou too hast been deified from days of yore. Thou art crowned by two owners on opposite sides; they bring thee two garlands and two cakes. An altar is built. Hither the husbandman’s rustic wife brings with her own hands on a potsherd the fire which she has taken from the warm hearth. The old man chops wood, and deftly piles up the billets, and strives to fix the branches in the solid earth: then he nurses the kindling flames with dry bark, the boy stands by and holds the broad basket in his hands. When from the basket he had thrice thrown corn into the midst of the fire, the little daughter presents the cut honeycombs. Others hold vessels of wine. A portion of each is cast into the flames. The company dressed in white look on and hold their peace. Terminus himself, at the meeting of the bounds, is sprinkled with the blood of a slaughtered lamb, and grumbles not when a suckling pig is given him. The simple neighbours meet and hold a feast, and sing thy praises, holy Terminus: “Thou dost set bounds to peoples and cities and vast kingdoms; without thee every field would be a root of wrangling. Thou courtest no favour thou art bribed by no gold: the lands entrusted to thee thou dost guard in loyal good faith. If thou of old hadst marked the bounds of the Thyrean land, three hundred men had not been done to death, nor had the name of Othryades been read on the piled arms. O how he made his fatherland to bleed! What happened when the new Capitol was being built? Why, the whole company of gods withdrew before Jupiter and made room for him; but Terminus, as the ancients relate, remained where he was found in the shrine, and shares the temple with great Jupiter. Even to this day there is a small hole in the roof of the temple, that he may see naught above him but the stars. From that abide in that station in which thou hast been placed. Yield not an inch to a neighbour, though he ask thee, lest thou shouldst seem to value man above Jupiter. And whether they beat thee with ploughshares or with rakes, cry out, ‘This is thy land, and that is his.’” There is a way that leads folk to the Laurentine fields, the kingdom once sought by the Dardanian chief: on that way the sixth milestone from the City witnesses the sacrifice of the woolly sheep’s guts to thee, Terminus. The land of other nations has a fixed boundary: the circuit of Rome is the circuit of the world. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \n\tNox ubi transierit, solito celebretur honore Often the traveler, especially Walker, sees along the road or at the entrance of the cities stone markers, landmarks and even piles of stones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,6,13,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-gods-religion","category-habits","category-history","category-language-literature"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiquitatem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\t separat indicio qui deus arva suo.
\n\tTermine, sive lapis sive es defossus in agro
\n\t stipes, ab antiquis tu quoque numen habes.
\n\tte duo diversa domini de parte coronant,
\n\t binaque serta tibi binaque liba ferunt.
\n\tara fit: huc ignem curto fert rustica testo 645
\n\t sumptum de tepidis ipsa colona focis.
\n\tligna senex minuit concisaque construit arte,
\n\t et solida ramos figere pugnat humo;
\n\ttum sicco primas inritat cortice flammas;
\n\t stat puer et manibus lata canistra tenet. 650
\n\tinde ubi ter fruges medios immisit in ignes,
\n\t porrigit incisos filia parva favos.
\n\tvina tenent alii: libantur singula flammis;
\n\t spectant, et linguis candida turba favet.
\n\tspargitur et caeso communis Terminus agno, 655
\n\t nec queritur lactans cum sibi porca datur.
\n\tconveniunt celebrantque dapes vicinia simplex
\n\t et cantant laudes, Termine sancte, tuas:
\n\t'tu populos urbesque et regna ingentia finis:
\n\t omnis erit sine te litigiosus ager. 660
\n\tnulla tibi ambitio est, nullo corrumperis auro,
\n\t legitima servas credita rura fide.
\n\tsi tu signasses olim Thyreatida terram,
\n\t corpora non leto missa trecenta forent,
\n\tnec foret Othryades congestis lectus in armis. 665
\n\t o quantum patriae sanguinis ille dedit!
\n\tquid, nova cum fierent Capitolia? nempe deorum
\n\t cuncta Iovi cessit turba locumque dedit;
\n\tTerminus, ut veteres memorant, inventus in aede
\n\t restitit et magno cum Iove templa tenet. 670
\n\tnunc quoque, se supra ne quid nisi sidera cernat,
\n\t exiguum templi tecta foramen habent.
\n\tTermine, post illud levitas tibi libera non est:
\n\t qua positus fueris in statione, mane;
\n\tnec tu vicino quicquam concede roganti, 675
\n\t ne videare hominem praeposuisse Iovi:
\n\tet seu vomeribus seu tu pulsabere rastris,
\n\t clamato "tuus est hic ager, ille tuus".'
\n\test via quae populum Laurentes ducit in agros,
\n\t quondam Dardanio regna petita duci: 680
\n\tilla lanigeri pecoris tibi, Termine, fibris
\n\t sacra videt fieri sextus ab Urbe lapis.
\n\tgentibus est aliis tellus data limite certo:
\n\t Romanae spatium est Urbis et orbis idem.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"