Why Is Heracles Considered The Great Greek Hero

Wall Label
The Great Greek Hero Herakles, who was the son of Zeus, was well-known and represented the symbol for extraordinary strength, courage and the battles against evil. This famous hero holds the club that he used to beat his enemy Nemean Lion, and in the other hand, he holds the skin of the lion to show to the world his triumph. This sculpture of Heracles, which was inspired by the Greek school of Polykleitos, depicts him nude because nudity portrays an athlete, hero or a god and it is considered the highest form of beauty.

Catalogue Entry
The marble statue represents the divine hero Heracles (in Roman mythology known as
Hercules), who was the son of Zeus and mortal woman Alcmene. Heracles was the most popular of all Greek heroes,

Also,
Heracles is frequently appealed to for protection from various evils. In considering of the visual elements, the most dominant factor that catches the viewer’s eye is contrapposto. Heracles is poised such that the weight rests on one leg (called the engaged leg), freeing the other leg, which is bent at the knee. It is evident that the Romans admired and their sculptures were extremely influenced by the Greeks. This statue represents a copy and it was very likely it was inspired from the Greek school of Polykleitos. The Emperor Hadrian commissioned the copies of
Heracles, because he was fascinated with Classical Greek culture. Under Hadrian, there was a return to idealized images such as in Classical Greek sculpture (e.g. the colossal statue of
Antinous, c. 130 CE) but there was an important innovation in terms of a more natural rendering of the eyes in marble works. Previously, pupil and iris had only been painted on to the sculpture but now these also came to be sculpted as had been the case in bronze and terracotta works. The statue was named for Lord Lansdowne, who once owned the Herakles and displayed it in his home in