Advanced Search 
View: Front
Commodus as the infant Hercules killing the snakes
Roman
Imperial Period
A.D. 183–192
Medium/Technique
Marble, from Carrara in northwest Italy
Dimensions
Overall: 78 × 25.4 × 44.5 cm (30 11/16 × 10 × 17 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
John H. and Ernestine A. Payne Fund
Accession Number1971.394
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSculpture
Roman portraits, and especially those of emperors, were frequently given attributes of gods and other mythological characters. Particularly common by the mid-second century A.D. were images of the emperor in the guise of Hercules, the hero who earned immortality for his labors; the emperor could hope for a similar fate, namely official deification, if he maintained the love of the Roman people. Still, immense political power sometimes begat excesses, as demonstrated by the manner in which Commodus, whose reign lasted from A.D. 180 to 192, pursued his Herculean fantasy.
A bond between Commodus and Hercules may have been cultivated from childhood, when, as the oldest living son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned A.D. 161-80), Commodus was next in line for the throne. This fragmentary marble statue illustrates a popular legend in which the youthful Hercules strangles a pair of snakes. The boy's hairstyle matches that worn by Commodus on coins minted in his mid-teens, suggesting that this statue is a mythologizing portrait of the prince.
Debate continues regarding the date of the statue, which may have been commissioned either when Commodus was a child or later in his life in an attempt to impart a heroic dimension to his boyhood.
There is no doubt, however, that when Commodus grew up to be emperor, he actively perpetuated his bond with Hercules. The reverse of this medallion shows a half-draped standing figure of Hercules, with the hair and beard of Commodus, pouring an offering over a burning altar; his wooden club rests against the altar, and his trademark lion's skin hangs from a nearby tree. Disposing of any ambiguity, the inscription running around the edge of the medallion makes the fusion of emperor and hero explicit by naming him Hercules Commodianus.
A bond between Commodus and Hercules may have been cultivated from childhood, when, as the oldest living son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned A.D. 161-80), Commodus was next in line for the throne. This fragmentary marble statue illustrates a popular legend in which the youthful Hercules strangles a pair of snakes. The boy's hairstyle matches that worn by Commodus on coins minted in his mid-teens, suggesting that this statue is a mythologizing portrait of the prince.
Debate continues regarding the date of the statue, which may have been commissioned either when Commodus was a child or later in his life in an attempt to impart a heroic dimension to his boyhood.
There is no doubt, however, that when Commodus grew up to be emperor, he actively perpetuated his bond with Hercules. The reverse of this medallion shows a half-draped standing figure of Hercules, with the hair and beard of Commodus, pouring an offering over a burning altar; his wooden club rests against the altar, and his trademark lion's skin hangs from a nearby tree. Disposing of any ambiguity, the inscription running around the edge of the medallion makes the fusion of emperor and hero explicit by naming him Hercules Commodianus.
Catalogue Raisonné
Sculpture in Stone (MFA), no. 366; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 115 (additional published references); Highlights: Classical Art (MFA), p. 176-177.
DescriptionThis fragmentary statue represents a young, nude Commodus in the guise of the mythological hero Hercules strangling a pair of serpents. The snakes wind around the infant’s upper thighs and left forearm. The left arm is held down, close to the torso, and the legs are splayed as though in mid-stride. The positioning of the right shoulder indicates that the right arm was originally raised. The face is round with plump cheeks and a small chin with a dimple in the middle. The eyes are large and wide with thick lids. The irises are incised but the pupils are not drilled. The eyebrows are gently arched but there is no evidence for feathering. The mouth is small with full lips. Crowning the head is a full head of hair. The tousled curls are composed of short comma-shaped locks that have been deeply carved out with the drill.
The legs below mid-thigh, all of the right arm, and the left hand are missing. There are remains of small dowel holes or pins in the left hand, left leg, right thigh, and at the rear. The nose and upper lip have been heavily damaged. There is also damage to the lower left cheek near the jawline and to the ears. Deposits from small root marks cover the surface of the statue, which has a light gray to yellowship brown patina.
Scientific Analysis:
Harvard Lab No. HI733: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.07 / delta18O -2.13, Attribution - Carrara, Justification - White, fine grained marble.
The legs below mid-thigh, all of the right arm, and the left hand are missing. There are remains of small dowel holes or pins in the left hand, left leg, right thigh, and at the rear. The nose and upper lip have been heavily damaged. There is also damage to the lower left cheek near the jawline and to the ears. Deposits from small root marks cover the surface of the statue, which has a light gray to yellowship brown patina.
Scientific Analysis:
Harvard Lab No. HI733: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.07 / delta18O -2.13, Attribution - Carrara, Justification - White, fine grained marble.
ProvenanceSaid to have been found in the region of Tivoli [see note 1]. Said to have been in private collections, Germany [see note 2]. 1971, sold by Antiken Heinz Herzer, Munich, to the MFA. (Accession Date: November 10, 1971)
NOTES: [1] According to dealer Heinz Herzer at the time of acquisition. [2] According to curatorial statements at the time of acquisition, this sculpture had passed through private German collections and had been exhibited in museums in northwest Germany.
NOTES: [1] According to dealer Heinz Herzer at the time of acquisition. [2] According to curatorial statements at the time of acquisition, this sculpture had passed through private German collections and had been exhibited in museums in northwest Germany.