Numen (Head of a man)

myminifactory

This sculpture by Thomas J Price embodies a strong sense of divinity. It represents Numen, a term in Latin that signifies a divine presence or will. Cicero described it as a "divine mind" that governs everything and a "divine power" that influences the lives of men. This numen is also responsible for the behaviors and sounds of birds during augury. In his epic poem Aeneid, Virgil portrays Odysseus and his companions seeking assistance from powerful numina before attacking the one-eyed giant Polyphemus. Historian Tacitus recounts how some people felt that Augustus had disrespected the gods when he created temples and statues of numina in his own honor. Pliny the Younger writes about the majesty and dignity of history's numen, while Lucretius uses the term numen mentis to describe the human will as a form of divine bidding.