EMPEROR OF THE DAY:

commodusReign: 177 - 192AD

“Achievements”:

- modelled himself on hercules

- came after “five good emperors”

- destroyed his predecessors’ good works

THEBUST OF COMMODUS AS HERCULES

Date: 190AD

Height: 1.18m

Material: Marble

Style: Idealised/Antonine Baroque

What influenced this style? Greek portraiture showing ideal/perfect form.

Historical Background:

• Son of Marcus Aurelius

• Reign 177-192AD

• Saw himself as incarnation of Hercules

• Rule marked by vicious brutality

• Destroyed achievements of 5 Good Emperors – civil war followed.

Subject Matter

The lion skin & the club=Hercules (Commodus’ alter-ego) – his courage and strengththe golden apples of Hesperides = wealth/ immortalitythe shield supporting the bust has a gorgon’s head = Perseus another hero highlighting Commodus’ power over the supernatural The cornucopiae, “horns of plenty”=Commodus brings fertility & prosperity to Rome = Augustusthe Amazon = another labour of Hercules – where he defeats barbarians (in his last years Commodus assumed the name Amazonius = magalomaniac) the globe having signs of the zodiac symbolising Commodius’ power over the earth/heavens

The body, arms and face are polished and smooth

The pupils of the eyes are incised

Elaborately drilled hair and beard – over barbered?Heavy (sleepy?) eyelids

Arms – weak?

Hands - manicured?

Style

Is this some kind of a joke?

“The smooth and effeminate Emperor, with his weak arms, his flaccid feeble face and over barbered hair ... the lion-scalp and club … in that tenuous manicured hand, is a delicate but brutally expressive charade” - M. Wheeler