Pompeii, Lysippos’s muscle-bound Greek hero provided inspiration
for Romans who came to the baths to exercise. (The copyist,Glykon
of Athens,signed the statue. Lysippos’s name is not mentioned, but
the educated Roman public did not need a label to identify the
famous work.) In the hands of Lysippos, however, the exaggerated
muscular development of Herakles is poignantly ironic, for the
sculptor depicted the strong man as so weary that he must lean on
his club for support. Without that prop, Herakles would topple over.
Lysippos and other fourth-centuryBCEartists rejected stability and
balance as worthy goals for statuary.
Herakles holds the golden apples of the Hesperides in his right
hand behind his back—unseen unless the viewer walks around the
statue. Lysippos’s subject is thus the same as that of the metope (FIG.
5-33) of the Early Classical Temple of Zeus at Olympia, but the
fourth-centuryBCEHerakles is no longer serene. Instead of express-
ing joy, or at least satisfaction, at having completed one of the im-
possible 12 labors, he is almost dejected. Exhausted by his physical
efforts, he can think only of his pain and weariness, not of the re-
ward of immortality that awaits him. Lysippos’s portrayal of Hera-
kles in this statue is an eloquent testimony to Late Classical sculp-
tors’ interest in humanizing the great gods and heroes of the Greeks.
In this respect, despite their divergent styles, Praxiteles, Skopas, and
Lysippos followed a common path.
Alexander the Great
and Macedonian Court ArtAlexander the Great’s favorite book was the Iliad,and his own life
was very much like an epic saga, full of heroic battles, exotic places,
and unceasing drama. Alexander was a man of singular character, an
inspired leader with boundless energy and an almost foolhardy
courage. He personally led his army into battle on the back of Bu-
cephalus, the wild and mighty steed only he could tame and ride
(FIG. 5-70).
ALEXANDER’S PORTRAITS Ancient sources reveal that
Alexander believed only Lysippos had captured his essence in a por-
trait, and that is why only he was authorized to sculpt the king’s im-
age. Lysippos’s most famous portrait of the Macedonian king was a
full-length heroically nude bronze statue of Alexander holding a
lance and turning his head toward the sky. Plutarch reported that an
epigram inscribed on the base stated that the statue depicted Alexan-
der gazing at Zeus and proclaiming, “I place the earth under my
sway. You, O Zeus, keep Olympus.” Plutarch further stated that the
portrait had “leonine” hair and a “melting glance.”^5 The Lysippan
original is lost, and because Alexander was portrayed so many times
for centuries after his death, it is very difficult to determine which of
the many surviving images is most faithful to the fourth-centuryBCE
portrait. A leading candidate is a third-centuryBCEmarble head (FIG.
5-67) from Pella, the capital of Macedonia and Alexander’s birth-
place. It has the sharp turn of the head and thick mane of hair that
were key ingredients of Lysippos’s portrait. The sculptor’s treatment
of the features also is consistent with the style of the later fourth cen-
turyBCE. The deep-set eyes and parted lips recall the manner of
Skopas, and the delicate handling of the flesh brings to mind the
faces of Praxitelean statues. Although not a copy, this head very likely
approximates the young king’s official portrait and provides insight
into Alexander’s personality as well as the art of Lysippos.
PELLA MOSAICSAlexander’s palace has not been excavated,
but the sumptuousness of life at the Macedonian court is evident
from the costly objects found in Macedonian graves and from
the abundance of mosaics (see “Mosaics,” Chapter 11, page 303)
140 Chapter 5 ANCIENT GREECE
5-67Head of Alexander the Great, from Pella, Greece, third century
bce.Marble, 1high. Archaeological Museum, Pella.
Lysippos was the official portrait sculptor of Alexander the Great. This
third-centuryBCEsculpture has the sharp turn of the head and thick
mane of hair of Lysippos’s statue of Alexander with a lance.5-68Gnosis,Stag hunt, from Pella, Greece, ca. 300 bce.Pebble
mosaic, figural panel 10 2 high. Archaeological Museum, Pella.
The floor mosaics at the Macedonian capital of Pella are of the early
type made with pebbles of various natural colors. This stag hunt by
Gnosis bears the earliest known signature of a mosaicist.1 in.1 ft.