Featured A Greek Artistic Masterpiece on Roman Coins

...man...how did i miss this thread till now??....great write up and coin(s) @Curtisimo & all... Galerius Maximinus as Hercules

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Earlier in this thread I showed my Maximinus II HERCVLI VICTORI with weary Hercules. Since then I visited Rome and Naples:



EDIT: This statue was in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (not in Rome as I first wrote).



Constantine, struck c. 312
22 mm. RIC VI -- (Nicomedia 75 is the same reverse for Maximinus II).
Page 551 speculates why Constantine did not appear in this issue, but this example shows he really did-- it was just not known to the author of RIC VI. Similarly, CNG 49 lot 1708 is this type for Licinius, also not in RIC.

 

Great fun! Even having seen the statue in person I am still taken aback by the size of it. It is really a fantastic piece of ancient art.

The National Museums around Termini station were a highlight of Rome for for my wife and I when we were there last year. The museum wasn’t crowded when we went even on a rainy day and the part of the museum in the Baths of Diocletian seemed almost deserted. It was like having the objects all to ourselves.

Nice eye recognizing the Constantine / weary Hercules. Very interesting. I was also very impressed by the coin collection and display in the museum. When we were there they had some type of power outage and the lights went off completely and it was pitch black because it’s down in a basement with no windows. We were like “holy smokes what did I touch!” Luckily the lights came back on after a while and we were able to finish viewing the amazing coins.

 

It bothered me that this pose was so popular after Gordian but not seen earlier. A little research online turned up the statement that the big one was made for the Baths of Caracalla in 216 AD. There are Caracalla coins showing Hercules in other poses but not in this one. Was this original then or did they find an earlier one and comissioned the large scale one for the baths? More research!

 

Hercules is one of my favorite types. Here is my example of a Constantius Chlorus follis with hercules type. In this pose Hercules holds the apples in front to the right, and the club is to the left. Perhaps based on an alternative ancient sculpture?

 

A slender Hercules on a rare Pius as RIC 922

 

I to am generally a late comer to with another Maximianus from Alexandria...

 

I really like this reverse. Perhaps this is the coin engravers interpretation of Hercules either just before or just after the moment captured in the sculpture.

Nice coin!

Thanks for the addition Steven. Great coin. This one looks like a stout Hercules to me!

 

..other poses?...would you take a look at my coin above to see if the reverse is Hercules or not...i thinking now maybe i misID'd it...

 

The legend calls him Genius and I see nothing to suggest Hercules.

 

A favorite Hercules of mine is this as of Caracalla with Bacchus (Liber) and Hercules. 204 AD COS LVD SAEC FEC

 

ah, thanks Doug...i didn't think it lQQked like the others..cause it waddent...

 

Just got a new one in, so I am resurrecting this Hercules Farnese thread, since this coin wasn't in any of the original posts.

This new one is a Commodus sestertius with the Hercules Farnese on the reverse - this is not the similar one where Hercules is holding the bow. Here he rests his club on a rock, other hand behind his back holding the apples (presumably), like the Farnese statue. As far as I can tell, it is rather scarce.

Condition is pretty poor, but this is the first time I ever bought a "random lot" on eBay - you know the sort: a big pile of ancients, set price per coin. The seller even let me pick from what I could see on the pile. I like green and I like Commodus, but I had no idea what was on the reverse.



Commodus Æ Sestertius
(183-184 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[M COM]MODVS A[NTONINVS AVG PIV]S, laureate head right / [P M TR P VIIII IMP VI COS IIII P P] S-C, Hercules standing facing, nude, head right, resting club wrapped in lion skin upon a rock.
RIC III 399Aa (see note).
(18.36 grams / 28 mm)

Attribution Notes: Legend not clear, but seems to be RIC 399Aa (bottom tail of the "S" is just visible at the end of the obverse legend). There are two variations of the Hercules without the bow type:

RIC 399Aa ...ANTONINVS AVG PIVS

RIC 399Ac ...ANTON AVG PIVS BRIT

 

Curtisimo, your Gordian III example does not appear to have Heracles’ right hand behind his back. I guess an oversight to be expected in Gordian’s time. Yet, your even later example has it behind his back.
Just nicpicken.

 

This is excellent! A very early example of this style. Made even cooler because it ties in with the statue at the Pitti Palace (shown in the OP) where Commodus obviously had his head put on a Hercules body of this pose! A Commodus example is on my want list for this very reason.

 

Interesting. After your post I went back and took a closer look.

This is one of those instances where I wish I had kept my higher resolution original photos. On closer inspection I think Hercules does have his hand behind his back. I think the details of the hip and lower abdomen on this example can give the illusion that they are an extension of the arm in front of the body but they are actually part of the body with the hand in the back.

Of course that is just what I see. As you say I wouldn't be surprised to see a mistake during the time of Gordian III either!