Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Hercules Statue in Northern Greece

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Archaeologists with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki recently concluded their analysis of a Roman statue depicting Hercules they had found in modern Kavala, Greece. The statue was found to be the Roman Hercules and not the original Greek Heracles (to be discussed below).

These findings aid classical archaeologists and ancient historians alike in understanding why innovators of the Byzantine Empire chose classic mythological figures to decorate their central buildings, along with the methods, materials, and plans that were utilized in order to craft such intricate figures.

On September 16, 2022 the director of the excavation, Professor Natalia Poulos, finished the long lasting dig and went back to the lab to continue analysis of the site. The excavations took place along a main street in Kavala, formerly the city of Philippi, where the statue was erected. The statue was part of a building, that archaeologists believe to have been a town square. The Greek press release says the statue was “formed by [near] a widening dominated by a richly decorated building, probably a fountain.”

This discovery was determined to be Hercules based on the location, northern Greece, and the age of the statue, around 1,300 years old. Northern Greece had long been claimed as Macedonian before being overthrown again and renamed under the Byzantine Empire. The location was deemed Philippi, after Philip II, who had initially overthrown it around 300 BCE.

Over time Romans appropriated plenty from Greek mythology, art, architecture, and culture. Regarding mythology, they changed the names and traits of the pantheon only slightly to fit their values and goals as a society. An example of this change is the one that occurred with the Goddess Athena, the patron of Athens, and her change to the goddess Minerva, or that of Hades to Pluto.

The statue was a surprising find, and was not unearthed alone. There was also Hercules’ club, found shattered; the Nemean lion, held in his hand; and a vine leaf wreath, or laurel, on his head. These three items are all well known throughout the ancient and modern scholarly world to be the most identifiable items pertaining to the Greek demigod, which aided in identifying the statue.

The story simplified

The Ancient Greek tale of Heracles, or traditionally Herakles, first came about from the Classical tragedian playwright Euripides around 416 BCE or around 2,400 years ago. The story also existed in different variations around this time from different playwrights like Apollodorus and Diodorus. It is important to note the tale of Heracles was written as historical, but is widely believed by scholars to have been a central part of mythology, and it is accepted Heracles was not a real person.

Heracles is the tale of perseverance through the lens of an inhumanly strong Demi-god born from Zeus named Herakles. He was cursed by Zeus’s wife Hera who was infuriated by his infidelity. Heracles goes mad, kills his family, and ends up tasked, by Apollo, to complete a series of twelve labors in order to have his crimes forgiven. Killing the Nemean lion was the first of these labors. After completing all twelve successfully, Heracles continued to fight until he was poisoned by the blood of Nessus, a centaur he had killed. His mortal body died, but his divinity ascended to Olympus where he was made a god.

The club found at the excavation site was what Heracles used to corner the Neamen lion before strangling it. He wore its pelt as a victory token, usually depicted with Heracles placing his head inside the lion and wearing it almost as a cape. The vine wreath was also a symbol of victory and was adapted to Roman mythology as a militaristic symbol.

This all confirms what historians knew, that Roman statues had been used to decorate buildings, and it gives light to new knowledge that will continue to inform us about the wonders of the ancient world.

References

“Αποτελέσματα Της Πανεπιστημιακής Ανασκαφής Φιλίππων 2022.” Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού. Accessed October 4, 2022. https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=4361&fbclid=IwAR3X_BFU_cRUpxC6xV61edEYTRSWSPL2yRA6ReNi3-AA2gSNwIxpZIJSeyM.

Jerusalem Post Staff. “Hercules Statue, Approximately 2,000 Years Old, Discovered in Greece.” JPost.com, October 4, 2022. https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-718941.

The Life and Times of Hercules. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/bio.html.