Herakles And The Hydra, Iolaos With Torches Analysis

The abundance of works of art that depict the labors of Herakles certainly makes it a difficult task to select which work of art to study. Not only is the range of labors vast but also the depictions are numerous. Thus, it is quite daunting to have to pick one work of art out of the seemingly infinite collection on the Classical Art Research Centre. The example chosen here from this database for the purpose of study is a depiction of Herakles slaying the dreaded hydra. It is simply titled Herakles and the Hydra, Iolaos With Torches, Athena Seated.

This fascinating work of art dates from circa 400 to 300 B.C. It is currently located in the collection of St. Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum. It is a red-figure Chous. Its shape is certainly

She sits with a graceful, almost languid posture as she watches Herakles fighting the hydra. She is so relaxed that she is almost reclining and she has one leg crossed over the other, gracefully portraying her attitude. The spear that she has in her arm is leaning uselessly to the side. It is odd to see a woman with such composure looking on unconcernedly as a young man fights a menacing monster. Yet, this woman is completely unperturbed. Her face is as serene as her body. The calm attitude apparent in this woman makes much more sense when the viewer realizes that the seated woman is actually the powerful goddess Athena. Even though she holds her spear she wears no armor. This makes it more difficult to discern who she is. It is not surprising to see Athena watching Herakles, however, and it makes sense for her to be in this scene, for Athena is, of course, Herakles’ patron. Athena is often found in other portrayals of the labors of Herakles and in his other endeavors, as well. One might well ask why she shows such a lack of concern for Herakles. Those who have seen other such depictions of gods and goddesses following the activities of mortals will know that this is common in such stories. Gods and goddesses rarely, if ever, intervene in such efforts. Characters like Herakles must learn to fight on their own, and that is precisely why Athena is allowing Herakles to fend for himself. Athena also displays such lack of concern for Herakles as she has faith in the potential of Herakles. She has no fear of Herakles losing this battle, as she believes in Herakles’ power and his ability. Herakles is one of Athena’s favorite demi-gods and she follows his pursuits with alacrity. Athena’s attentiveness towards Herakles is often exhibited in works of art depicting Herakles’ labors. Therefore, it is no surprise to see her viewing the spectacle as it unfolds with a proud