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HERCULES.
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Discusses the Greek demi-god as represented in mythology, literature & art (statues).... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses the Greek demi-god as represented in mythology, literature & art (statues).
Paper Introduction:
Herakles, or Hercules from the Roman period, was a Greek demi-god who is depicted in a variety of works, many of which tell stories from his life as embodied in Greek mythology. Several depictions of Herakles are found in the collection of the Getty Museum, among them the statue known as the Landsdowne Herakles, and the painted vase known as the Perseus Vase.
Herakles, or Hercules, was a mortal and a bastard son of Zeus. In the temple of Apollo, there is a frieze that runs all round the chamber and that depicts the fight of Herakles with the Amazons and a battle against the Centaurs with a new leading motif, that of Apollo and Artemis as they appear driving a team of stags and bringing help while the bride flees to the old-fashioned statue of the god. An Amphora from about 485 B.C. shows Herakles and Athena pouring a libation, with Herakles
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Herakles, or Hercules, was a mortal and a bastard son of Zeus. The Landsdowne Herakles is a typical depiction of the figure ofHerakles, shown here with a club and the skin of a lion, both featuresassociated with the Twelve Labors. Behind the figureof Herakles we can see that he has already killed the double-bodied dogOrthos and the shepherd Eurythion. In his right hand he grasps a lion's skin, which falls to the ground and serves as a structural support for his body ("Landsdowne Herakles," 2 ). (1967). Hamilton says it might seem oddthat Ovid skips over the story of Hercules' slaying of his wife andchildren, but that story had been told well by Euripides so that Ovid mayhave skipped it for that reason: He has very little to day about any of the myths the Greek tragedians write of. Below this isanother register on which three labors of Herakles are depicted. Herculeseventually arrived at Mount Atlas in Africa. Hence they placed in it the Isles of the Blest, the ruddy Isle Erytheia, on which the bright oxen of Geryon were pastured, and the Isle of the Hesperides. New York: Mentor. Works Cited Bulfinch, T. Herakles is often shown wearing orcarrying a lion's skin, for he killed the lion as one of his twelve labors. A second labor is seen in thecenter, where Herakles battles the triple-bodied Geryon. Iolaos is seen on the right, burning the severedstumps of the Hydra's heads as Herakles cuts the heads off. The Stories of the Greeks. He wastold that he had to go to Mycenae and for twelve years obey all thecommands of his kinsman, the cowardly king Eurystheus. Baltimore: Penguin. Herakles, or Hercules from the Roman period, was a Greek demi-god whois depicted in a variety of works, many of which tell stories from his lifeas embodied in Greek mythology. He wears only his lionskin. Hercules finallymanaged to burn away the heads of the Hydra. Several depictions of Herakles are foundin the collection of the Getty Museum, among them the statue known as theLandsdowne Herakles, and the painted vase known as the Perseus Vase. Both versions make useof the same icons to identify the figure, and the vase seeks to tellseveral stories about Herakles, all related to the twelve labors for whichhe was best known. Inthe temple of Apollo, there is a frieze that runs all round the chamber andthat depicts the fight of Herakles with the Amazons and a battle againstthe Centaurs with a new leading motif, that of Apollo and Artemis as theyappear driving a team of stags and bringing help while the bride flees tothe old-fashioned statue of the god. Herakles does seem to be a powerful figure in the paintings aswell as in three-dimensional form. He then visited the great cliffs at Delphi tosee the oracle of Apollo and to ask how he could purify his sin. The oracle furtherstated that once he had completed his many labors, he would be receivedamong the gods. Mythology. The apples are supposed by some to be the oranges of Spain, of which the Greeks had heard some obscure accounts (Bulfinch, 1961, 137). To the left, we see Herakles and Iolaosbattling the Hydra, though much of this portion is missing so that onlyHerakles' foot is seen. The depiction of the figure on the vase similarly shows thesecharacteristics and includes more stories of the twelve labors, since thereare several scenes painted on the vase. The Greek myths: Volume 2. Another labor was thecleaning of the Augean stables. Jupiter tricked his wife into breast-feeding the infant, and this made the child immortal (Graves, 1955, 9 -91). His head is turned slightly to the left; his club rests on his left shoulder. Greenwich, Connecticut:Fawcett. Alcmene was afraid of Juno(or Hera's) wrath at her husband's infidelity, and she exposed the child ina field outside the walls of Thebes. Warner, R. Getty ArtsEdNet.http://www.artsednet.getty.edu/ArtsEdNet/Resources/Beauty/herakles.html. (1961). The statue shows a muscular build andcarries the club with authority, while the figure in the paintings isperforming feats of strength and preparing to kill. Hercules accomplishedeach of the twelve tasks. We know this is Herakles because againhe wears a lion skin and carries a sword in his right hand. (1942). The first of the Twelve labors was the Nemean lion, a terrible beastthat infested the Valley of Nemea. He then came to his senses and experiencedhorror at what he had done. There are many other depictions of Herakles in the works in thecollection, including statues, vase paintings, friezes, and other worksfrom both the Greek and Roman periods. (1955). However, Ovid gives only a brief account of the life of Hercules,which is unlike his more common and extremely detailed method ofpresentation: "He never cares to dwell on heroic exploits; he loves best apathetic story" (Hamilton, 1942, 159). Hamilton, E. This type of vase is known as akrater, and kraters served as sacrificial vessels and as tomb-monuments.The body of the krater is black, and friezes are painted on the sides ofthe neck. The museum describes the stance of the figure by noting, The sculpture shows Herakles standing solidly with his weight on his right leg. showsHerakles and Athena pouring a libation, with Herakles characteristicallyholding a club and carrying his kill over his shoulder. To oneside is Atlas holding up the heavens, and in front of him is the apple treeof the Hesperides, protected by the dragon, Ladon. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bringhim the skin of this creature, and Hercules finally strangled the beastwith his bare hands. On one side, three pairs of Amazons defend a fallen Amazonagainst Herakles, who holds the hair of a fallen Amazon as he readieshimself to stab her with his sword. This would be the beginning of the story of the twelvelabors of Hercules, requiring the hero to make his way to the distantcorners of the earth to accomplish the tasks that would make him famous andassure his place among the gods (Warner, 1967, 94). This story has been told in many forms by differentpoets: The poets, led by the analogy of the lovely appearance of the western sky at sunset, viewed the west as a region of brightness and glory. He wasa hero to the people of Thebes, and Creon, the king, gave him his daughterin marriage. These were the apples that Junohad received at her wedding from the goddess of the earth. The second labor was slaying the Hydra, which hadravaged the region of Argos and which lived in a swamp. Graves, R. He passes over also one of the most famous tales about Hercules, how he freed Alcestis from death, which was the subject of another of Euripides' plays (Hamilton, 1942, 159). Atlas was the father of theHesperides, and Hercules decided to send Atlas to find the apples for him.He took over Atlas's task of holding up the world while Atlas went andretrieved the apples. An Amphora from about 485 B.C. The next was a more delicate labor,acquiring the girdle of the queen of the Amazons. The Age of Fable. Athena is hisprotectress and is partly seen behind him. The statue is, of course, a three-dimensional being caught in fullstride, while the depictions on the vase are two-dimensional and emphasizethe flatness of the plane even more as the figures are shown largely fromthe side. Herakles approaches thedragon with his club held high, and he is ready to pick the apple he needsto satisfy this labor. The story of Hercules is told by a number of Roman writers, includingOvid. "Landsdowne Herakles" (2 ). The resentment of Juno continued into the adulthood of the hero, andHercules could not seem to escape from her wrath from time to time. Hercules is a semi-divine personage, with Jupiter for a father (Zeusin Greek mythology) and Alcmene for a mother. New York: Farrar,Straus & Giroux. One of the more important of the tasks wasgetting the golden apples of the Hesperides, and the problem was thatHercules did not know where to find them. Juno, however, afflicted Hercules with a sudden madness sothat he did not know what he was doing, and in his frenzy he killed bothhis wife and his children.
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