Take my poll please: Who is your favorite Hercules actor?
Archaeologists exploring an ancient Greek city have uncovered a large, 2,000-year-old statue depicting Hercules, a well-known figure from Greco-Roman mythology, the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports revealed last month.
Researchers with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki discovered the statue while sifting through the remnants of the ancient city of Philippi in northern Greece. Though they found the “larger-than-life” artwork in pieces, archaeologists believe the figure—depicted with a “youthful body”—originally held a club, a wreath and a lion skin, all of which have historically been associated with Hercules, per a statement.
The team unearthed the statue while exploring the intersection of two streets, which may have been widened into a square that contained a highly decorative building and, likely, a fountain.
Archaeologists say the building dates back to the late Byzantine period of the eighth or ninth century C.E., while the statue itself likely dates to the second century C.E.
Hercules was the Roman interpretation of Heracles from Greek mythology. Born to Zeus and Alcmene, the demigod was bold, strong and courageous from the very beginning of his life. According to myth, when Hercules was still an infant, his mischievous stepmother, Hera, sent two snakes into his crib to kill him, but baby Hercules handily defeated them.
Later, after Hera sent him into a temporary fit of madness, Hercules killed his wife, Megara, and their children. To make amends for his actions, Hercules carried out a series of difficult tasks known as the 12 labors of Hercules. His final feat involved making the journey to Hades to kidnap Cerberus, the monstrous three-headed dog who guarded its gates. As Amah-Rose Abrams writes for Artnet, Hercules is often used to signify “the overcoming of one’s demons”; he’s also seen as a “champion of the weak.”
