Heracles's weariness and apotheosis in Classical Greek art

Abstract

In this paper, I propose a general interpretation of images showing the physical exhaustion and apotheosis of Heracles that were produced during the Classical period. These images appear on or take the form of coins, jewels, vase paintings, and sculptures. Building on the major scholarly work on the subject since the late 19th century, I suggest that the iconography of Heracles shows the influence of new religious and philosophical conceptions of his myth, in particular relating to Pythagoreanism, Orphism, and mystery cults, as well as the intellectual climate of 5th century Athens. Rather than appearing as an example of infinite toil and excess in the manner of earlier literary and iconographic representations, Heracles is presented in the Classical period as a model of virtue and self-restraint and a symbol of the triumph of merit over adversity and divine persecution.