Hercules Images

[Doc]

Does anyone have any images of Hercules as the Romans often dipcted him?

I need any image of Hercules for a pair of greaves.

Thanks


Paolo

[Magnus]

I asked a while back Paolo and didn't get much of a reply...I was thinking of painting him on my new vexillum (glad I didn't) but still wouldn't mind an image that I could re-draw of him.

[Doc]

Does Hercules have a beard and a lion pelt on his body and wears the lion's head as if it were a helmet?

I found some information on line saying that he wore the Nemean lion skin over his body and the head as the helmet. (I do not know if this is true)

I just wanted to see a depiction of Hercules from Roman times as evidence for the beard and lion.

I know of the Vatican Museum bronze sculpture where Hercules appears as a youth and does not have a beard.

I know Commodus wanted to be called Hercules and on a marble bust of his he wares the lion head and Commodus' face has a beard.

I think beards might have been fashionable then but I wonder if Commodus did not have a beard for the reason of wearing the lion and appearing as Hercules did.

Just thoughts

Paolo

[Peroni]

There's some Hercules greaves from (IIRC) Straubing or Heddernheim.

I can't find a pic of the original, but here's a reconstruction of a very similar pattern..
(Left)



Also, scroll almost to the bottom of this page and you will see a brass greave with an image of hercules.
http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryEqui ... BodyArmour

Capitoline museum..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/h_savill/537258695/

Farnese..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elissacorsini/150079094/

[caiusbeerquitius]

From:
J. Garbsch, Römische Paraderüstungen. Katalog der Ausstellung im Germanischen Nationalmuseum Nürnberg 1978/79, München, 1979.

A horse armour, no photo available:

[caiusbeerquitius]

A greave from Straubing:



Note that these are 3rd century, and that the depiction of Hercules on armour is quite typical for the late second and third century, not so much of earlier times.
[/quote]

[caiusbeerquitius]

These in fact are not reconstructions, they are just based on third century motives. The greaves are far to deep for middle / late Roman infantry greaves, the motives are parts from decorations of the Straubing finds. The depth of these greaves would be more that of cavalry greaves, but all other cavalry-greave characteristica are missing.

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

The so called "Hercules farnesio":



A depiction of Commodus as Hercules:



A young Hercules, from Tarraco:

[Doc]

Thanks all for the reply. You have answered my question. I just wanted to know if Hercules was ever depcited with a beard and he is.

He is also depicted with the lion pelt (Commodus as Hercules).

Excellent.


Now I can start my greaves.


Paolo

[caiusbeerquitius]

Here´s an other sculpture from Herculaneum, which I really like. Reminds me of my friday nights when I was younger...

And here is a pic to the aforementioned horse armour:


The greaves about which i said are "wrong" in fact are not so wrong at all, as I found out. There is in fact one greave from Slavonski-Brod, now in the RGZM:


Pic in
M. Feugère, Weapons of the Romans, Stroud, 2002, p. 152.