Statuette of a Child God, probably Horus the Child (Harpocrates)

The child god Horus was worshipped as the hero-to-be who would avenge his father’s murder. Horus also symbolized eternal life through his role as the sun, battling evil at night to rise triumphant every morning. The Greek form of the Egyptian “Horus the Child” is “Harpokrates.” The god’s youth is indicated by his side lock of hair and his finger touching his mouth. The Greeks and later the Romans worshipped him with his parents as part of a growing interest in mystery cults promising a true and real life after death.