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Heracles and the Apples of the Hesperides: A New Type
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 December 2013
Extract
Of all types of Heracles in Greek art, that with the apples of the Hesperides is perhaps the most familiar. Yet in the archaic period it scarcely occurs, and even in the fifth century, though the scene is often represented among the Labours, when accessory figures are consequently present, there are few examples of the hero holding the apples in free sculpture. With the fourth century, however, the subject becomes common, for it is to Lysippus and his followers that we owe the type of the Wearied Heracles holding the apples, which has given rise to the popular conception. That this became the stock representation to the ancient world as to the modern we learn from Suidas καὶ γράφουσι δορὰν λέοντος φοροῦντα, καὶ ῥόπαλον φέροντα, καί γε μῆλα κρατοῦντα. The earliest representation of the type, best known from the Heracles Farnese, appears to be on a tetradrachm of Alexander, and there can be little doubt that its origin is due to Lysippus. The replica in the Pitti bears the inscription ΛΥΣΙΠΠΟΥ ΕΡΓΟΝ.
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References
1 Only on two b.f. lecythi, (a) Braun, Zwölf Basrel. vignette to taf. XI.; (b) Benndorf, , Gr. u. sic. Vasenbilder, taf. 42, 1Google Scholar.
2 See Furtwängler, ap. Roscher, , Lexikon, p. 2227Google Scholar.
3 A fine example, Myronic in style, is published in Denkmäler, 569–70.
4 s.v. Ἡρακλῆς.
5 Num. Chr. 1883, p. 9.
6 Amelung, , Führer, p. 134Google Scholar, where the genuineness of the inscription is conclusively maintained.
7 B.M.C., Corinth, Pl. XXII. 5Google Scholar, Num. Comm. on Paus. Pl. F CIII. The statue is almost certainly that referred to by Pausanias, (ii. 3, 2).
8 How favourite a subject it was with Sicyonian sculptors may be inferred from the fact that we have records of three Heracles statues and a group of the Labours by Lysippus, besides that under consideration. His son Euthycrates made a similar statue at Delphi (Overbeck, , Schr. Qu. 1468–1477Google Scholar; Plin., N.H. xxxiv. 66)Google Scholar.
9 Those in the Uffizi (Amelung, op. cit. p. 31) and the Louvre, (Rev. Arch. 1895Google Scholar, Pl. XIII.), which, however, lack the exaggeration of the better-known Farnese example.
10 See Overbeck, , Schr. Qu, 1468–72Google Scholar.
11 For pre-Lysippic types of the fourth century, see Roscher, , Lexikon, pp. 2164–5Google Scholar, to which should be added Amelung, Mus. Chiar. Pl. LXXXVII. The Beardless Herakles with the apples does not come within the scope of this paper.
12 Badly reproduced in Visconti, Mus. Pio-Clem. iv. Pl. b II.-III.; there are careful wood-cuts in Righetti ii. 274–5, which are reproduced in Sonderabdruck d. Denkmäler, 569–70, a publication which I owe to the courtesy of Dr. Arndt, who considers sculptural types to underlie the figures on the Basis. For the present illustration, the first photographic reproduction to be published, I am indebted to Mr. A. J. B. Wace of the British School in Rome. The Basis is placed in a very-bad light, which made it difficult to obtain a satisfactory negative, so that it has been necessary to strengthen the photograph.
13 The marble is Greek, described in the-official catalogue as Pentelic.
14 There is a replica of this work in the Vatican, of which only the torso remains (Mus. Chiar. Pl. LXXIV. No. 581).
15 The common type of Heracles brandishing in his right hand club or bow does not call for consideration here. It is quite unmistakeable, and usually goes with violent action on the part of the figure.
16 Num. Comm, F civ, FF XIII.
17 A drinking vessel is never held on a level with the head by a standing Heracles, but belongs to the seated or reclining type and to the Bibax of debased art.
18 B.M C. Bactria, Pl. VI. &c.
19 Num. Comm. Pl. FF XIII.
20 id. F civ.
21 id. pp. 17, 26.
22 It is worthy of remark that the conception, of Heracles as a small man—μορφάν βραχύς— was known to Pindar, (Isthm. iii. 90)Google Scholar, so that. colossal size would seem to have been a later development parallel with that of increased muscular force. Philostratus, (Gym. 35Google Scholar) definitely reverts to the older and less exaggerated ideal, as contrasted with the ultra-Lysippic type dear to Roman amateurs.
23 The figure leans somewhat too much to the right in the cut, which throws out the balances of the composition.
24 This is especially true of the details, such as the locks of the lion's mane and the fingers of the left hand.
25 It is true that the statuette is not unlike the Agias, but in that figure Lysippus was working on definitely traditional lines: its Polycleitan affinities are marked (Mahler, , Polyhlet u. seine Schule, p. 151)Google Scholar. Moreover, the Agias, as an athletic work, would belong to the earlier part of Lysippus' career. His artistic activity ranging from c 368 (when Troilus won his second victory) to c 312 (the portrait of Seleucus I. as Βασιλεύς), we can understand the difference between the Agias and the Hellenistic treatment of the Heracles Farnese, which corresponds with the Lysippus of literary tradition.
26 The only differences are that on the coins the lionskin is flung over the shoulder (where as in the statuette it hangs from the upper arm) and the Stand- and Spiel-bein are reversed. But die-cutters are notoriously careless in matters of detail, of which one of the coins in question offers an instance. On Num. Comm. FF XIII the Armed Aphrodite holds her shield to the left, while on a whole series of others she holds it to the right (F civ, G- cxxII cxxvI).
27 Amelung, op. cit. Pl. LII.
28 Furtwängler, , Meislerw. p. 519Google Scholar; Mahler, op. cit. p. 144.
29 It is a curious fact that all the Heracles statues which have been attributed to Scopas are of the youthful beardless type, and both those known to be his, the head recently found at Tegea and the statue represented on coins of Sicyon, were the same.
30 Mahler, op. cit. p. 44, with list of replicas.
31 Meisterw. p. 457.
32 I have to thank Professor Gardner for calling my attention to this interesting work (No. 33 in the Ashmolean, Michaelis, No. 39). The cut in Clarac (Pl 790 No. 1970 A) is misleading, as it gives Guelfi's restorations, now removed.
33 The soft treatment of the abdomen in the youthful figures is non-Polycleitan, but naturally does not occur in the statuette, which represents a more advanced age. The Arundel Heracles, like the athlete, probably held a wreath, a motive used, as we have seen, for the youthful type on coins of the Greek kings of India.
34 Furtwängler, , Meisterw. p. 575Google Scholar.