Commodus: The Tyrant Hercules
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Deborah Chatr Aryamontri
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2024 2:15 PM
End Date
26-4-2024 3:15 PM
Description
If someone was to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and look at the busts of Roman Emperors, they would see a detailed bust of what seems to be a middle-aged man, slightly looking off into the distance, and if a partial torso is showing, it would either show armor or a tunic. The emperor, Commodus, however, due to his vanity, went in a different route. His bust features him shirtless and draped in the skin of the Nemean Lion. This is a way of comparing himself to Hercules. Commodus had even stated that he was a reincarnation of Hercules on occasion. Commodus was young when he assumed the throne, becoming co-emperor with his father, Marcus Aurelius, at the age of 18. Unlike his more beloved philosophical father, Commodus was prouder of his physique, battles, and gladiator tournaments, where he allegedly fought and won over 700 fights. And unlike his father, who is one of the great emperors of Rome, Commodus is often regarded as one of the cruelest and most vicious of emperors, resulting in him being assassinated the year this bust was sculpted. With this paper, I will analyze how this bust differs stylistically from the other emperors of Rome, whether Commodus himself requested this bust to be made as a form of propaganda (much as modern tyrants use propaganda to make themselves appear as heroes), and if he did not, was this a piece of work made by a devoted follower as even tyrants have supporters.
Commodus: The Tyrant Hercules
If someone was to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and look at the busts of Roman Emperors, they would see a detailed bust of what seems to be a middle-aged man, slightly looking off into the distance, and if a partial torso is showing, it would either show armor or a tunic. The emperor, Commodus, however, due to his vanity, went in a different route. His bust features him shirtless and draped in the skin of the Nemean Lion. This is a way of comparing himself to Hercules. Commodus had even stated that he was a reincarnation of Hercules on occasion. Commodus was young when he assumed the throne, becoming co-emperor with his father, Marcus Aurelius, at the age of 18. Unlike his more beloved philosophical father, Commodus was prouder of his physique, battles, and gladiator tournaments, where he allegedly fought and won over 700 fights. And unlike his father, who is one of the great emperors of Rome, Commodus is often regarded as one of the cruelest and most vicious of emperors, resulting in him being assassinated the year this bust was sculpted. With this paper, I will analyze how this bust differs stylistically from the other emperors of Rome, whether Commodus himself requested this bust to be made as a form of propaganda (much as modern tyrants use propaganda to make themselves appear as heroes), and if he did not, was this a piece of work made by a devoted follower as even tyrants have supporters.