Commodus As HerculesCommodus As Hercules

General Information:General Information:General Information:General Information:

Date Carved: AD 192

Style: Antonine Baroque

Carved From: Marble

Dimensions: 1.18m high

Who Was Commodus?Who Was Commodus?Who Was Commodus?Who Was Commodus?

•Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus.

•Born in AD161 to Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger.

•Named Caesar at 5 years old.

•Spent early years accompanying his father on campaigns against

invading Germanic tribes along the Danubian frontier and training to be

the next Emperor.

•Named Co-Augustus with his father in AD177.

•After his father’s death on 17 March 180 he quickly came to terms

with the Germans and returned to Rome.

•Sole Emperor from AD180 onward.

•Changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus

•His reign was marked by vicious brutality and decadent self-

indulgence.

•He was strangled to death on 31 December AD192 and his memory

was cursed, Bringing an end to the Antonine Dynasty.

-He was later deified as Hercules Romanus by Septimus Severus

(he falsely declared himself to be the adopted son of Marcus

Aurelius and proclaimed his “brother”, Commodus a god.

Who Was Commodus?Who Was Commodus?Who Was Commodus?Who Was Commodus?

He was a Megalomaniac and clearly insane.

•He publicly identified himself with Hercules, adopting his dress

and weaponry and saw himself as an incarnation of the demi-god.

According to Heroditus, the obsession went so far as to his issuing

“orders that he be called not Commodus, the son of Marcus, but

Hercules the son of Jupiter”.

•He had declared a brand new day in Rome, founding it anew in

190, declaring himself the new Romulus. Rome was now to be

called Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana.

•During his final years he declared that his age should be called

the "Golden Age."

• This Style became popular in the Emperor Hadrian's reign (117-138) and continued until Septimus Severus’ rule (193-211).

• Imperial Sculpture of this style/period usually featured:-Intense contrast of light and shade between the porcelain-like areas of the flesh and abundantly shaded locks of hair and beard.-This produced an impression of nervous restlessness that contrasts with the still satin smoothness of the facial surfaces.

-Deep-drilled irises and pupils, sometimes in crescent shaped depressions.

STYLE: Antonine BaroqueSTYLE: Antonine BaroqueSTYLE: Antonine BaroqueSTYLE: Antonine Baroque

Style - ContinuedStyle - ContinuedStyle - ContinuedStyle - Continued

Facial Features.

–Hercules’ lion skin serves as a frame for Commodus’ white, polished features.

–He has the same elaborately curled hair and heavy eyelids that are characteristic of sculptures of his father.

–The deeply drilled hair and beard creates a play of light and shadow which contrasts with the smoothly polished cheeks and forehead .

–His head is turned toward his right shoulder. The pupils of the eyes have been incised into the iris and glance to one side, following the line of his head.

–The polished marble gives him a youthful appearance.

Torso and upper body.

-Hairy paws of the lion skin tied in a perfect knot are contrasted with the glistening white skin of the Emperor’s chest.

The Feats of Hercules.The Feats of Hercules.The Feats of Hercules.The Feats of Hercules.

There are 12 Legendary Feats by which Hercules gained Immortality. However only three of these are relevant to the Bust.

The slaying of the Nemean lion, whose skin he thereafter wore.-This is relevant because this lion skin is supposedly the same as the one Commodus is wearing in this bust.

The taking of the girdle of Hippolyte, Queen of the Amazons.-This is relevant because the heavy use of Amazonian symbolism in the bust alludes to this feat.

Retrieving the golden apples of the Hesperides.-These are supposed to be the apples that Commodus is holding in his left hand.

SYMBOLISM – The Head and TorsoSYMBOLISM – The Head and TorsoSYMBOLISM – The Head and TorsoSYMBOLISM – The Head and Torso

Draped over his head and shoulders and tied in a perfect knot on his chest, is Hercules’ famous lion skin (the skin of the Nemean Lion).

In his right hand he holds a club which is representative of the Club of Hercules.

In his left hand he holds the Apples of the Hesperides, these apples are symbolic of Hercules’ victory and the immortality he gained after.

All of these are direct references to Commodus’ identification with Hercules.

SYMBOLISM – The BaseSYMBOLISM – The BaseSYMBOLISM – The BaseSYMBOLISM – The Base

Only the hand

remains of the Amazon on this side of the base.

Kneeling on either side of the base are two Amazon Women. – Although headless, this figure can be identified as an Amazon by her garb and also by the fact that her right breast is bared.

These figures each support a Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty). These horns represent the bounty of the conquered lands that poured into Rome as booty, tribute and taxes.

These figures allude to one of the labours of Hercules (Steal the girdle of the Amazon Queen Hippolyte) and also personify the barbarian nations conquered by the might of Rome.

At the bottom of the base is a small globe, which represents the Orbis Terrarum (orb of the world)

This orb is bisected by a line carved with astrological signs (Scorpio Capricorn and Taurus), these are probably references to important dates or periods in Commodus’ reign.

Orbis Terrarum

SYMBOLISM – The Base (Continued)SYMBOLISM – The Base (Continued)SYMBOLISM – The Base (Continued)SYMBOLISM – The Base (Continued)

The cornucopias form a cross, which frames an Amazon shield tipped at either end with the head of and eagle and emblazoned with the head of a Gorgon. The Gorgon’s head could be an allusion to another of Hercules’ feats in which he is said to have obtained a lock of the Gorgon Medusa’s hair in order to save the town of Tegea.

The cornucopias form a cross,

which frames an Amazon shield.

DATE: 192 or 197?DATE: 192 or 197?

• Most sources date the bust to 192AD, the last year of Commodus’ reign.

However, the Art Historian, J. M. Heer, dates the Commodus portrait to Septimus Severus' reign and appears to have a strong argument.

• AD193, Commodus – declared damnatio memoriae by the senate

-All images destroyed, all records of his name/deeds struck from the record.

• AD197, Commodus officially deified by senate as Hercules Romanus.

–New Emperor, Septimus Severus fictitiously declared himself to be adopted son of Marcus Aurelius (thus linking himself to the Antonine dynasty). In doing this political act he had to declare his “brother” Commodus a God.

• To strengthen further his argument, Heer points out the astrological symbols of the bust relate to the spirit of Septimus Severus' rule.

-During Commodus’ reign, Severus was said to have consulted an astrologer about his ‘imperial destiny’.-Later, when Septimus Severus was Emperor. he continued to consult astrologers and oracles on numerous state/private matters.-He was so obsessed with the supernatural that he had his horoscope painted on the ceiling of the rooms in which he held court.