Perry, Walter Copland: Greek and Roman sculpture: a popular introduction to the history of Greek and Roman sculpture (London, 1882)

THE BELVEDERE TORSO OF HERACLES.

583

CHAPTER XLIX.

EXTANT WORKS OF THE ROMAN PERIOD.

The Torso of Heracles (fig. 239), known by the name of the Belvedere
Torso, bears on the rocky seat of the hero the name of Apollonius
the Athenian, son of Nestor, in cha- f,g- 239.

ractcrs which point to the last century /C^ss?**^
of the Roman Republic This magni-
ficent work was found in the reign of
Pope Julius VL (a.d. 1503-13) in the
Campo del Fiore—the site of l'ompey's
Theatre (founded b.c. 65), of which it
probably formed one of the numerous
plastic ornaments.

The cruel mutilation of this noble
work, which drew tears from the eyes
of Winckelmann, has rather increased
than diminished the interest with which
't has for many ages been regarded.
Like the corrupt text of an ancient
classic, the headless and armless trunk-
has been the subject of eager and excited

rnnf,„ . ... ._____TORSO OK HKRAC1.ES.

controversy, in which an astounding

■'mount of learning and imagination has been displayed. Accord-
ing to Heync, with whom Winckelmann in the main agrees, the
belvedere Torso is a more or less modified reproduction of the
Heracles F.pitrapczios of Lysippus,' and we incline to this interpretation

1 Vide supra, p. 482.