Hercules - Vatican City State
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Metro2
N 41° 54.402 E 012° 27.213
33T E 288793 N 4642553
Hercules was the son of Zeus.
This statue is located in the Vatican Museum.
Waymark Code: WMKT1H
Location: Vatican City State
Date Posted: 05/25/2014
Views: 10
This gilded bronze sculpture of Hercules is somewhat unusual...in that it has him posing in a classic stance..but holding his trademark club and lion skin.
The accompanying placard indicates that the work was found in 1864 in the area around Pompey's Theatre.
It had been found on its side with the letters "FSC" which indicated it had been struck by lighting and given a ritual burial per Roman custom. A lamb would have been sacrificed too. The placard adds that Hercules is holding the apples of the Hesperides in his right hand. It is dated between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD.
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek divine hero Heracles, who was the son of Zeus (Roman equivalent Jupiter) and the mortal Alcmene. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Greek hero's iconography and myths for their literature and art under the name Hercules. In later Western art and literature and in popular culture, Hercules is more commonly used than Heracles as the name of the hero. Hercules was a multifaceted figure with contradictory characteristics, which enabled later artists and writers to pick and choose how to represent him. This article provides an introduction to representations of Hercules in the later tradition."