32. Herakles
A. Head wearing lionskin
West
32/1 Rome, Mus. Naz. 10800 (Castellani). RPA 30/31 (1957/9) 226, fig. 3. 'Black'. BL. Uncertain if of the series.
No image available
B. Kneeling, wearing lionskin
West
32/2 Ibiza no. 190 (Madrid 36999). RSF 18 (1990) pl. 4.2 (Acquaro); Boardman, Fest.Hausmann pl. 66.3. BL;PB. Wears lion head, corselet with decorated upper part and lappets, dress on thighs. Drawing bow. Cf. Pauvert no. 79. III
32/3 Cagliari 19847, from Tharros. AG pl. 15.24; Bartolini, Sulcis pl. 65.4; RSF 18 (1990) pl. 4.4 (Acquaro); Tharros 103, fig. 7. BL;PB;EXCR. Lionskin wrapped round body, as Greek late archaic. Elbows out, drawing his sword. Was sceptre in front. I
32/4 Tharros pl. 63.d (BM ANE 133402), London no. 395. AG pl. 7.56; Boardman, GO fig. 255a; RSF 18 (1990) pl. 4.3 (Acquaro); Hölbl, Sard no. 246. BL;PB;EXCR. As the last, including the sceptre, and with a blank cartouche behind. I
Other
32/5 Paris, BN, Pauvert no. 79, pl. 6. Cut scarab (?). Wears lion head, corselet with collar (?) and lappets (cf. the warrior, Tharros pl. 62g), thighs covered with guard or dress, greaves? Drawing bow. Cf. Ibiza no. 190. III
C. Walking, with lionskin, raised club, bow
The skin is usually knotted across the body with one or both paws hanging free. Exceptionally, the lion head hangs at his back. Most seem youthful.
West
32/10 Tharros pl. 63e (BM ANE 133319), London no. 394, pl. 7; LRings no. 291. BH; on gold hoop B. Lion head at back. III
East
32/11 Oxford III, no. 17, from Al Mina. Nunn no. 67. BH; half missing. I
No image available
Other
32/15 Geneva I, no. 160, pl. 65. BL.
No image available
32/17 New York, Rosen 123. BH. Lion head at back. III
No image available
D. Club raised, holds inverted lion
Most, logically if Herakles, avoid the lionskin (clearly not on some); and all figure vertically behind the hero the figure of a running animal (dog) or some other, possibly animal, motif. Most of the heroes are youthful. The scheme is an eastern one deriving from that for the master of animals, and not uncommon with Bes. It was not generally adopted in Greece for Herakles and the lion, except in glyptic, where the motif was probably more directly derived from the east (AGGems nos. 297-8).
West
East
32/25 Oxford III, no. 478 (1889.391), from Amrit. Nunn no. 58. Short ridge on tail;BL. Lionskin hanging from arm. Star above. III
32/26 Paris, Bibl.Nat., de Clercq (E 25910). BH;EXO. Animal or arm of lionskin hangs behind.
No image available
32/27 Paris, Bibl.Nat., de Clercq no.2781=2782, pl. 18 ('faience' sic)? (E 25913). BL;EXCR. See the last. The curved mark behind is not intelligible but probably is suggested by an animal figure as on others. IV
32/28 Private, from 'Daherieh'. Palestine in the Bronze and Iron Ages (Papers...O. Tufnell, 1985) 209, no. 17. BH.
No image available
32/29 Jerusalem IAA 32.496, from Atlit. QDAP 2 (1933) no. 496; AJBA 1 (1968) 52, pl. 1.4 (Culican); RSF 8 (1980) pl. 5.5 (Bisi); CSAPI no. 4. BL. A dog behind. III
32/30 Jerusalem IAA 32.687, from Atlit. QDAP 2 (1933) no. 687; CSAPI no. 15. BH;EXO. A feather behind. IV
32/31 Jerusalem IAA 32.705, from Atlit. QDAP 2 (1933) no. 705; CSAPI no. 16. BH. A dog behind. V
Other
32/34 New York, Rosen 47. BH. A dog vertically behind; star above. Close to Ibiza no. 195. IV
E. Standing fight with the lion
The scheme was oriental but adopted in Greek art for Herakles at an early date and it is the archaic Greek wrestling type that appears here.
West
32/35 Ibiza no. 197 (Barcelona 9361). BH. The lion's head turned away. Herakles with raised club and one leg raised against the lion (which does not claw back). I
32/36 Ibiza no. 198 (Barcelona 9348). BL;EXCR. Bearded Herakles; the lion's head turned away; star above. I
32/37 Ibiza no. 199 (now Jerusalem, Borowski College). Sternberg, Aukt. 24 (1990) no. 410. BL;PB. The lion's head tucked into Herakles' chest, clawing at him with a hind leg. I
No image available
32/38 Cagliari 19887, from Tharros. AG pl. 15.75. BH; on gold hoop B. The lion's head tucked into Herakles' chest. A club behind. I
32/39 Cagliari. AG pl. 15.74. BH. They face each other. III
No image available
32/40 N. Mura of Oristano, from Tharros. BAS 4, 97, pl. 2.28. BL;EXCR. The lion faces away. A pillar or club behind.
No image available
F. Other lion fights
West
32/42 Ibiza no. 193 (Barcelona 9353), BH. Kneeling man with raised spear (?) before a standing lion, its head turned away. Not obviously Heraklean. II/III
No image available
32/43 Ibiza no. 200 (Madrid 37004). Fest.Hausmann pl. 66.1. BH;PB. A kneeling youth hoists a live lion onto his shoulders, its forepaws forward. This resembles the lion-throwing group adopted for some Athenian vase scenes in the later 6th century, and for occasional gems thereafter. See LIMC V (1990) 25. I
No image available
32/44 From Monte Luna. OrAnt 21 (1982) pl. 7a (Acquaro); RSF 11 (1983) pl. 41.2 (Costa). BH; on silver hoop B. As the last.
No image available
32/45 Malibu, from Sicily? IR no. 115. BH;PB;EXCR. Kneeling, knees together, grasping the lowered head of the lion in both arms. The lion claws at him with a hind leg. Bud below. I
G. Fights a snake
Herakles fighting a single snake is a rare subject, possibly not to be confused with his fight with the multi-bodied Hydra; see LIMC V, 119-120.
West
32/46 Cagliari 35114 (Coll. Gouin). BH; on gold hoop B. Holds club, and snake in other hand, looking away. Behind him a bud (or smaller snake?) at the border. III
No image available
32/47 Carthage no. 615. Fest.Hausmann pl. 66.4. Wears lionskin with lion head hanging behind, club raised against snake held in hand, standing on its tail. III
32/48 From Utica. BullArch 1924, 146. 'Heracles raises his club against the hydra'.
No image available
East
32/49 Müller Coll., 'from Sidon'. Naked, with raised club, looking back at a snake held in his hand. Before him vertically, a running dog. I
Other materials
Type B
32/X1 Geneva I, no. 149 (20254), pl. 61, from Egypt. RSF 18 (1990) pl. 4.1 (Acquaro). Cornelian, carinated. BH;EXCR. Kneels with skin, bow, arrows.
No image available
Type C
32/X2 Jerusalem IAA 32.552, from Atlit. QDAP 2 (1933) no. 552; AJBA 1 (1968) pl. 1.9 (Culican); CSAPI no. 8. Cornelian. BL. Walking with lionskin, bow, raised club. Aramaic inscription. III
32/X3 Basel market. MM 22, no. 197, pl. 67, from Apamea. Grey chalcedony. BH. Walking with lionskin, bow, arrows, and lowered club; winged disc above.
No image available
32/X4 Oxford III, no. 147 (1925.133). Pale brown chalcedony scaraboid with conoid back (Babylonian type).
No image available
Type D
East
32/X5 Oxford III, no. 479 (1889.394), from Syrian coast. Blue glass scaraboid. A dog behind.
Other
32/X6 Fribourg, Univ. H. Keel-Leu, Vorderas.Stempelsiegel (1991) no. 108. Rock crystal. A dog behind.
No image available
32/X7 New York no. 31, pl. 5 (25.78.94). AG pl. 7.54; RSF 8 (1980) pl. 5.4 (Bisi). Cornelian. BH. A dog behind.
32/X8 Paris, Bibl.Nat., de Clercq no. 2783, pl. 18. Cornelian scaraboid. In a silver mount.
32/X10 Sternberg, Aukt. 25 (1991) no. 673; Syria 76 (1999) 263, fig. 38. Black serpentine. BH. A dog behind.
No image available
Type E
32/X11 Karthago III, no. 67. Clay bulla. (Not Bes.)
No image available
32/X12 Paris, Bibl.Nat., de Clercq no. 2806, pl. 19. Cornelian scaraboid. BH. Beardless, raised club.
32/X13 New York, Rosen 10. Milky agate. BL;EXnb. One foot on the rump of the lion which moves away, head turned and forepaw raised. Herakles with scabbard, bow and arrows, raised club.
Type F
32/X14 Carthage no. 675. Quillard, no. 58, pl. 6b. Cornelian, in gold mount. BH. Wrestles lion on ground.
No image available
Other
32/X15 Boston 98.729. AG pl. 6.58. Cornelian. Beaded border;EXnb. With lionskin, raised club, bow and arrows, attacks the small supplicating figure of a naked man.
No image available
32/X16 Péronne, Danicourt Coll. RA 1971, 197, fig. 4 (Boardman). Mottled quartz. BH. As the last but the victim is a warrior with helmet, shield and spear.
