Maggie DeNoon May 14th, 2013 Ancient World Ms.

Morin The Legacy of a Hero Heroes are figures of great power, revered and respected by all, and held up as an ideal for ordinary humans. Heroes are constantly discussed in literature, history, and in the world today. But this brings up the timeless question, what is a hero? Or what defines a hero? Many different cultures answered this eternal question through myths, stories, and perhaps most importantly, art. Hundreds of art pieces from all cultures depict the concept of a hero, or a hero figure of their culture. In the Greco-Roman world, many art pieces were dedicated to honoring a hero. One of the most famous heroes of that period is Herakles. Although his name changed throughout history, going from Herakles to Heracles and even Hercules. He was not only in Greek mythology but carried on in the Roman mythology. To have survived for such a long time shows the weight the story of Herakles carried in the minds of the people, because they saw him as a hero. He even went on to become a god in the eyes of mortals, honored even after he left the world. Therefore, Herakles became an extremely popular subject for art pieces of the Greco-Roman world. The art pieces often depicted him as a great hero, undergoing his heros quest, as a divine figure, or showing his heroic character. The art piece Bronze Herakles from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one such piece. The eternal truth of the concept of hero is present in Bronze Herakles because of the historical significance,

cultural context, and theological significance of the piece, and how the art piece exemplifies the various aspects of Herakles that proved him to be a hero. By looking at the context of Bronze Herakles, we are able to see how it exemplifies the eternal truth of a hero. Bronze Herakles is held inside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in Gallery 155. It was created during the Archaic Period of the Greco-Roman World, in the last quarter of the 6th century B.C.E. However, the creator of the bronze statue has not been identified. The museum acquired Bronze Herakles on April 2, 1928 from Joseph Brummer in New York. Historians believe that the piece is from Mantinea, a city of Ancient Greece. The statue is in an archaic stance, which means rigid posture. The face is neutral, showing no great emotion. Then, the body itself is clearly muscular and fit, as a sign of the heroic strength of Herakles. Finally, he holds a club in hid hand to again show the strength of Herakles. The piece was most likely commissioned for dedication in a sanctuary1, as many statues of Herakles were. In fact, according to the Curatorial Staff of the MET, and many statuettes of him [Herakles] were dedicated as votive offerings2, because Herakles was the son of Zeus, a principal deity, and he was worshipped as a divine. So although the creator of the piece is unknown, a logical conclusion may be made that this piece was designed for worship and for revering Herakles and the gods, as many other Herakles pieces were. This art piece answers the question of what a hero is, because it shows how respected a hero is, and how a

N.a., . Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Bronze Herakles." Accessed May 20, 2013. http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/130013466. 2 Phillipe De Montebello, Howard Kathleen, and Curatorial Staff of the MET, The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Guide, (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1983), 311.
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hero is held up on a pedestal through art and other forms of expression. The statue is described as showing strength, vitality, and beauty- some of the traits that traditionally define a hero. Bronze Herakles is an example of a hero, because it shows the desirable traits of a hero, and how heroes are most often lifted up as ideals through art and forms of expression. According to the MET description of the piece, the piece is being presented here not only as a hero of extraordinary strength and vitality but also as a beautifully groomedand thus civilizedindividual.3. And as collectors and studiers of hundreds of art pieces, the MET staff are able to comprehend the art piece as it was meant to be, so they are a reliable source. By describing the art piece in this way, it is shown how Bronze Herakles exemplifies the eternal concept of a hero by presenting the traditional admirable traits of a hero. To understand why the statue was created, one needs to look into the cultural and geographical background of the period in which it was created. As mentioned earlier, Bronze Herakles was created in the last quarter of the 6th century B.C.E, in the Archaic period. The Archaic period was a time of rapid expansion, meaning the Greek culture was spreading further than it had before. It was also the beginnings of lyrical poetry, a story-telling platform of the Ancient Greeks. Both of these major events of the archaic period relate to Herakles in the culture of the Greeks. In the cultural mindset of Ancient Greece, Herakles was a beloved hero, and his legend was extremely popular. Herakles even had cults in

N.a., . Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Bronze Herakles." Accessed May 20, 2013. http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/130013466.
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Akhaia, Arkadia, and Boiotia 4 dedicated to him and his legend. To the people Herakles was famous for his strength, courage, and generosity of spirit5, making him a near perfect example of what defines a hero. Books, poems and plays, central parts of Grecian culture, were dedicated to him. Examples of such plays are Heracles by Euripides, which portrays Herakles madness and murder of his family, and his internal battle afterwards, and Alcestis (in which Herakles rescues Alcestis from death).6 Both of these bring forward an important aspect of a hero, his or hers quest, their own personal journey. Herakles was seen as a hero in the culture of Ancient Greece because he underwent many different quests. Perhaps the most mentioned quests, however, were the twelve trials or labors of Herakles. After stricken with temporary madness from a vindictive Hera, Herakles murders his wife and children. After he awakes from his state, he is deeply sorrowful, and prays to Apollo for help. Apollo tells him that he must serve King Eurystheus for twelve years. And, As part of his sentence, Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, feats so difficult that they seemed impossible. 7 Because of the impossible nature of these tasks, his alleged completion of them awarded Herakles hero status in Ancient
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Aaron, Atsma. Theoi Greek Mythology, "Herakles Cult 2." Last modified 2000. Accessed May 20, 2013. http://www.theoi.com /Cult/HeraklesCult2.html

Sacks, David. "Heracles." Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. Revised by Lisa R. Brody. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE49&iPin=EAGW0237&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 20, 2013). 6 N.a., . UNCW, "Ancient Authors who Wrote about Herakles." Last modified N.d.. Accessed May 20, 2013. http://people.uncw.edu/deagona/herakles/authors.htm. 7 Classics Department of Tufts , . Perseus Project, "http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html." Last modified September 8, 2008. Accessed May 21, 2013. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html.
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Greece. Without the completion of the intense quests, Herakles wouldnt have been half the hero he became, because his struggles made Hercules the perfect embodiment of an idea the Greeks called pathos, the experience of virtuous struggle and suffering which would lead to fame. And with no hero status, no art piece would have been created of Herakles. Because of a culture focused on the evolution of art, and the story of a hero, Bronze Herakles was created as both as a tribute to the art style of the period, and as an example of the concept of a hero. Finally, one of the most important aspects of Herakles was his connection to the divine, and the theology of Greece. Mythology holds that Herakles was a son of Zeus, and the mortal Alkmene.8 From his very birth, the goddess Hera, filled with jealousy at Zeuss infidelity, was his main enemy, thus she took out her rage on Herakles. On the contrary, during his twelve trials, Hercules had the help of Hermes and Athena, sympathetic deities who showed up when he really needed help9. Therefore the gods positively affected his life, as opposed to the negativity from Hera. It is clear that from his very birth, the gods heavily influenced Herakles life, which is why he was a great hero. Surely Herakles, whose life was filled with divine influence, was a hero worthy of ones respect. However, it is what happened after his death that allowed Bronze Herakles to be made, and what is truly different

Daly, Kathleen N. "Heracles." Greek and Roman Mythology A to Z, Revised Edition. Revised by Marian Rengel. Mythology A to Z. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004.Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE49&iPin=GRMAZ263&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 20, 2013).
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Classics Department of Tufts , . Perseus Project, "http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html." Last modified September 8, 2008. Accessed May 21, 2013. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html.
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about Herakles' heroic status. The Greeks held that Herakles, after his death, was apotheosized, or became divine. His ascension occurred when on the funeral pyre Herakles' mortal part was burned away, and he ascended as a god to Mt. Olympus. There he was welcomed by his divine father, reconciled with Hera, and married to Zeus and Hera's daughter, the goddess Hebe.10 So now, Herakles was part of the Greek Pantheon, which led to the creation of art forms dedicated to him. Bronze Herakles is one such example of a holy dedication, but another would be the Orphic Hymn to Herakles. The Hymn is in essence, a prayer to Herakles said by mortals, and begins with Hear, pow'rful, Hercules [Herakles] untam'd and strong, to whom vast hands, and mighty works belong11. It goes on to ask for his guidance and help in their ordinary lives, which are the common things to ask of a god. Bronze Herakles was most likely created as a part of a sanctuary or sacred space to Herakles, making the theology behind Herakles a huge aspect of the art piece. Also, this ascension and subsequent worship is his heros reward, the just pay he receives for the ordeals he underwent as a demi-god hero. This is another vital part of the definition of a hero, receiving proper recompense for right and just actions. Therefore, the fact that Bronze Herakles is a religious art piece helps it further exemplify the concept of a hero. By observing how the theology of the Ancient World affects the eternal concept of a hero,

Sacks, David. "Heracles." Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. Revised by Lisa R. Brody. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE49&iPin=EAGW0237&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 20, 2013). 11 Aaron, Atsma. Theoi Greek Mythology, "The Orphic Hymns." Last modified 2000. Accessed May 20, 2013. http://www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns1.html.
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Bronze Herakles is a perfect example of how the eternal truth of a hero manifested itself into art pieces of the Ancient World. Through its depiction of Herakles, and the background of the art piece, the piece shows the concept of a hero. However, a vital question we must ask is if this truth is still alive all these years later, in the 21st century. In order to be eternal, the concept of a hero must carry on throughout the ages, and appear in works of all the periods of time.