Ever wonder the real story behind the movie The Gladiator? Or know the history behing the statue of Marcus Aurelius riding his steed? If you said no to both then I would recommend stop reading. However, if you said yes to both, or one of the two questions, then this is the place to be.
So who was Maximus based on, and did he really kill that many people? After seeing the bust of the real Gladiator; Commodus, I began to wondering the symbols behind this one of a kind bust.
The first thing I notice about this artwork is that he is wearing a lion on his head, and the arms are wrapped around him like a cape. After doing some research, I found out that he was trying to look like Hercules the God of Strenght. He also has a golden apple in his left hand which is representative of a God. The golden apple is universally known as a prestigious symbol, and can be traced back to multiple cultures. In the right hand of Commodus is a club which obviouosly represents his heroic fights within the Colleseum. However, if you look closely you will notice that the club looks exactly like Hercules club. This again is because Commodus thought of himself as a God. His bust also sits on a sphere with a detailed crest on top. The sphere shape was a symbol for power in ancient Rome. There wasn't much information on this bust but, thanks to our tour and through the Musei Capitolini website I found useful data.
I also saw the great Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius in the center of the Capitoline Hill. This was not the first statue, but was an exact replica of the original one.
The original statue was created and put up in 176 B.C. It was completely made out of bronze, and was covered with a thin layer of gold. Surprisingly this statue made it through time because, most bronze statues would decay, or be used to make coins. The location of this statue was unknown, but historians believe it was located in the Roman Forum. During midevil times people believed the statue was Constantine, the emperor who brought Christianity to Rome. This is the only bronze statue that is still around before the time of Constantine. This statue is also on the "tails" side of the Fifty Cent Euro.
I found this statue very interesting to learn about because, I had no idea that is the only equestrain bronze statue around. I also had no idea Constantine destroyed statues during his time of reign.
This is good Chase! I liked the art that you chose. I almost chose the art sculpture of Commodus too, because I thought it was one of the more interesting pieces we saw. I did not end up researching it for my journal though, so I am glad I got to find more out about it from your blog! It's weird to think of people believing that they were gods and the sculptors even putting symbols of gods on this sculpture of him.
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