Commodus as the infant Hercules killing the snakes

Roman portraits, and especially those of emperors, were frequently given attributes of gods and other mythological characters. Particularly common by the mid-second century A.D. were images of the emperor in the guise of Hercules, the hero who earned immortality for his labors; the emperor could hope for a similar fate, namely official deification, if he maintained the love of the Roman people. Still, immense political power sometimes begat excesses, as demonstrated by the manner in which Commodus, whose reign lasted from A.D. 180 to 192, pursued his Herculean fantasy.A bond between Commodus and Hercules may have been cultivated from childhood, when, as the oldest living son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned A.D. 161-80), Commodus was next in line for the throne. This fragmentary marble statue illustrates a popular legend in which the youthful Hercules strangles a pair of snakes. The boy's hairstyle matches that worn by Commodus on coins minted in his mid-teens, suggesting that this statue is a mythologizing portrait of the prince. Debate continues regarding the date of the statue, which may have been commissioned either when Commodus was a child or later in his life in an attempt to impart a heroic dimension to his boyhood.There is no doubt, however, that when Commodus grew up to be emperor, he actively perpetuated his bond with Hercules. The reverse of this medallion shows a half-draped standing figure of Hercules, with the hair and beard of Commodus, pouring an offering over a burning altar; his wooden club rests against the altar, and his trademark lion's skin hangs from a nearby tree. Disposing of any ambiguity, the inscription running around the edge of the medallion makes the fusion of emperor and hero explicit by naming him Hercules Commodianus.