If Herms are supposed to depict Hermes, why does he always have

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>>1454583

>>1454594
t. Alcibiades

>>1454583
Herms could also depict anyone

>>1454583
He looks persian as fuck

I once heard in a lecture that the reason Herms have penises has something to do with communities of monkeys that have their male members guard their territory by standing guard while displaying their erect penis.
It sounded like bullshit to me.

I argue that it's probably because Herms were placed outside formal places and were erected for serious-purposes on roads as distance makers, that they depicted him to look mature for the more serious patronages of his that Herms were used in. Hermes is often elsewhere depicted as young and beardless because of him being one of the youngest Olympians and because of some of the more known myths of his mischievous acts (like stealing Apollo's cattle when he was young), and being used as a subordinated herald for Zeus and the other major Olympian Gods which carry a connotation of being young. But since Herms were erected for purposes to aid merchants and other serious travelers -- fields which he holds patron over and was believed to bring good-luck and aid to those pious -- that those commissioned the Herms depicted him more seriously and respectful to show their piety.