(active during the 5th century B.C.E.), Diadumenos (young man binding his hair), Diadumenos House, Delos, Classical style, 10 °C.E. Roman copy of a Greek original, c. 450–425 B.C.E. Marble, height: 195 cm. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
70. Lysippos (c. 395–305 B.C.E.), Hermes Fastening His Sandal, 2nd century Roman copy after Greek original, Classical style, middle of the 4th century. Marble, height: 161 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
71. Praxiteles (active between 375–335 B.C.E.), Apollo Sauroctonos (the Lizard Slayer), 1st or 2nd century C.E. Roman copy of a Greek original, Classical style, c. 340 B.C.E. Marble, height: 149 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Praxiteles
(ACTIVE BETWEEN 375–335 B.C.E.)
Praxiteles of Athens is considered to be one of the greatest Attic sculptors of the fourth century B.C.E. We gained a considerable amount of knowledge about the sculptor after the discovery of the statue of Hermes and the Infant Dionysus in 1877. Among the numerous copies of his sculptures that have been acquired, the most admirable is that of Apollo Sauroctone, the lizard slayer, who is depicted as a young boy, leaning against a tree ready to catch a lizard.
72. Votive Bust of a Woman, Etruscan, 4th century B.C.E. Terracotta. Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.
73. Fragmentary Male Head, Belvedere temple, Orvieto, Etruscan, early 4th century B.C.E. Terracotta, height: 14 cm. Museo Archeologico, Orvieto.
74. The Young Lance Carrier, tomb C of Agios Athanasios necropolis, Cyprus, Macedonian influence, last quarter of the 4th century B.C.E. In situ.
75. Lysippos (c. 395–305 B.C.E.), Hercules Farnese, Baths of Caracalla, Rome, Roman copy made c. 216 C.E. by Glycon of Athens of a Greek original, Greek, Classical style, 4th century B.C.E. Marble, height: 317 cm. (without pedestal 292 cm). Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.
This representation of Hercules Farnese is most likely an enlarged Roman copy made in the early third century C.E. of the original by Lysippos. The copy is assumed to have been made for the Baths of Caracalla in Rome where it was excavated in 1546. It is a massive muscular marble statue modelled after a bronze cast that was made through the lost wax casting method. It depicts a fatigued Hercules leaning on his giant club that is draped with the pelt of a Nemean lion. He is performing the last of The Twelve Labours, which is suggested by the Apples of Hesperides that he holds behind his back with his right hand. When the sculpture was discovered it was found in separate pieces and over time has been reassembled and restored.
Lysippos
(c. 395–305 B.C.E.)
The Greek sculptor Lysippos was at the head of the School of Argos and Sicyon at the time of Philip and Alexander of Macedonia. His masterpieces amount up to about 1500 works including many statues that are colossal in size. He was particularly innovative in his perception of male body proportions. Contrary to his predecessors, he would reduce the size of the head and sculpt a strong, slender body, giving the impression of a taller almost imposing sculpture.
76. Skopas (c. 400–350 B.C.E.), Maenad, reduced Roman copy after a Greek original, Greek, Classical style, c. 350 B.C.E. Marble, height: 45 cm. Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden.
77. Philoxenos of Eritrea, The Alexander Mosaic (detail of Alexander the Great), House of the Faun, Pompeii, c. 100 B.C.E. Roman copy of an original Greek painting, Hellenistic style, 330–300 B.C.E. Mosaic in opus vermiculatum, height: 512 × 271 cm. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.
78. Head of a Girl with Melon Coiffure, Sanctuary of Artemis, Athens, Greek, Hellenistic style, c. 300 B.C.E. Marble, 19 × 14.4 × 16.2 cm. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
79. Lysippos (c. 395–305 B.C.E.), Head of Alexander the Great, Pergamon, Roman copy after a Greek original, Greek, Classical style, c. 320 B.C.E. Marble, height: 41 cm. Archaeological Museum, Istanbul.
Taking the throne at the age of twenty, Alexander was determined to continue his father, Philip II of Macedon’s, dream of conquering Asia. Rallying the Macedonian army, Alexander lead a force of 43,000 infantry and 5,500 cavalry from Greece to Persia to eventually overthrow the entire Persian Empire in battle before going on to invade India. There, Alexander was forced to turn back due to the protests of his troops, but in the short time that he had reigned he had already amassed one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Contracting a fever while returning to Greece from India, Alexander died in Babylon at the age of thirty-two, however, Alexander’s short life had a huge impact on the history of the world. Shortly after his death, Alexander’s generals divided the conquered lands amongst themselves, thus dispersing Hellenistic culture throughout the East and ultimately influencing the world as we know it today.
80. Skopas (c. 400–350 B.C.E.), Meleager, 2nd century Roman copy of a Greek original, Greek, Classical style, c. 340 B.C.E. Parian marble, height: 123 × 63 × 42 cm. Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge.
81. So-called Capitoline Brutus, Roman, Republican style, 4th-3rd century B.C.E., the bust is a modern adding. Bronze, height: 69 cm. Musei Capitolini, Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome.
According to legendary early history Lucius Junius Brutus was the founder of the Roman Republic at the end of the sixth century B.C.E. His story is told by various historians, particularly, Titus Livius. Known for his sense of justice, his sense of honor and his generosity, he is one of the main characters in “The Life of Publicola”, one of the forty-six biographies in the Parallel Lives of Famous Statesmen (Bíoi parálleloi) by Plutarch.
These different sources reflect the immoral and criminal administration of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome and his sons Titus, Sextus Tarquinius and Arruns.
Tarquinius declared war on the small town of Ardea. While the soldiers lay siege to the city, Sextus, the youngest son of the King, asks Lucretia, the wife of fellow nobleman Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, to be taken into her home as her guest. Aroused by Lucretia’s famed beauty and purity, Sextus takes advantage of her hospitality and rapes her the same night. After he departs, Lucretia sends word to her father and her husband who, accompanied by Brutus, rush to her. Lucretia brings the crime to light and makes the men swear to take vengeance upon the rapist before stabbing herself to death.
Organizing an armed uprising with the Roman people to drive the besieging Tarquins away, Brutus and the opponents of the king oust the tyrannical ruler. As a result of their leadership, Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus became the first elected consuls. However, the resentment of the Roman population against all Collatine forces eventually caused the last consul to go into exile. Publius Valerius Publicola was then elected
