[ 53 ]
Courageousiy. He is sometimes described as fsanC-
ported with passion, and sometimes as cringing
with fear. But this was in his mad fits, when he
killed his friends, and daflied out his children’s
brains; after which monstrous aftions, he fell in-
to a deep gloomy melancholy x. Under all these
bad charafters he is represented by the artists as
well as by the poets jr.
Since
x The chief scene of his effeminacies was in Asia, whilst he
lived with Omphale queen of Lydia. He attended her like a Have
with her umbrella. He holds the women’s work-baskets for
them, and even sits down to spin himself. He is scolded for
working so awkwardly, and throws himself at their feet, to beg
they would not lash him. See Ovid. Fast. ii. v. 325. 312. Her.
ep. ix. v. 72. 74. 82. Stat. iii. Sylv. i. v. 43.
y Hercules, demeaned by his amours, is often to be met with.
The Cupids are represented by taking away his club, and his mis-
tresses are dresied up in his lion’s skin, or himself in their cloaths^
There is a statue of him (in the Farnese palace) with Omphale
(as is supposed) in which he is dresied in a woman’s gown, with a
spindle in his hand.
The Drunken Hercules is no uncommon figure ssill. Accord-
ing to Statius, he was invoked (in the frequent lestisterniums
made to him by the Romans) under this character. A friend of
Statius had a little figure of this god, which he put upon the
table whenever any gaiety was carrying on. The figure held a
cyathus in one hand, and his club in the other, with a good-na-
tured mild look, as inviting others to be as well pleased as him-
self. Stat. iv. Sylv. vi. v. 58. This figure is remarkable sor hav-
ing run through a series of the highest fortunes of any upon re-
cord. It w,as a Hercules in miniature, of brass, cast by the fa-
mous Lysippus. Before it came to Statius’s friend, it had belong-
ed to Sylla j before him, to Hannibal, and was his fellow-travel-
ler into Italy, as before that it had accompanied Alexander the
Great
Courageousiy. He is sometimes described as fsanC-
ported with passion, and sometimes as cringing
with fear. But this was in his mad fits, when he
killed his friends, and daflied out his children’s
brains; after which monstrous aftions, he fell in-
to a deep gloomy melancholy x. Under all these
bad charafters he is represented by the artists as
well as by the poets jr.
Since
x The chief scene of his effeminacies was in Asia, whilst he
lived with Omphale queen of Lydia. He attended her like a Have
with her umbrella. He holds the women’s work-baskets for
them, and even sits down to spin himself. He is scolded for
working so awkwardly, and throws himself at their feet, to beg
they would not lash him. See Ovid. Fast. ii. v. 325. 312. Her.
ep. ix. v. 72. 74. 82. Stat. iii. Sylv. i. v. 43.
y Hercules, demeaned by his amours, is often to be met with.
The Cupids are represented by taking away his club, and his mis-
tresses are dresied up in his lion’s skin, or himself in their cloaths^
There is a statue of him (in the Farnese palace) with Omphale
(as is supposed) in which he is dresied in a woman’s gown, with a
spindle in his hand.
The Drunken Hercules is no uncommon figure ssill. Accord-
ing to Statius, he was invoked (in the frequent lestisterniums
made to him by the Romans) under this character. A friend of
Statius had a little figure of this god, which he put upon the
table whenever any gaiety was carrying on. The figure held a
cyathus in one hand, and his club in the other, with a good-na-
tured mild look, as inviting others to be as well pleased as him-
self. Stat. iv. Sylv. vi. v. 58. This figure is remarkable sor hav-
ing run through a series of the highest fortunes of any upon re-
cord. It w,as a Hercules in miniature, of brass, cast by the fa-
mous Lysippus. Before it came to Statius’s friend, it had belong-
ed to Sylla j before him, to Hannibal, and was his fellow-travel-
ler into Italy, as before that it had accompanied Alexander the
Great