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In 1945, Herbert Bloch published an inscription from Ostia recording the restoration of a cellam Herc[ulis] in the late fourth century and suggested that it heralded the last pagan revival in the western Roman empire. Social historians now largely dispute this thesis, yet the details of the Ostian evidence remain unchallenged. This article demonstrates that the Hercules inscription, which Bloch attributed to the so-called Temple of Hercules (1.15.5) at Ostia, more probably records the restoration of a bath complex once decorated with the labors of Hercules. Given the persistence of traditional religious practices now known to have characterized the Late Antique city, neither the restoration of the baths nor the temple need bear the weight of religious revivalism. Evidence suggests that the urban image of fourth-century Ostia remained inconspicuously traditional, even as Christianity gained a more visible presence in the town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the manuscript evidences of Hercules and David in the early decoration of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. According to the author, the Hercules in the Palazzo Vecchio, constitutes a significant stage in the 'Hercules florentinus' tradition, but the present study is primarily concerned with the political iconography of the Palazzo Vecchio in the early Renaissance. He also said that Donatello's marble David with the Head of Goliath was transferred from the Cathedral workshop to the Palazzo Vecchio by the request of the Signoria in July 1416.

The Villa Mattei in Rome, built in the 1580s, was renowned for its collection of antiquities. The collection was inventoried in 1614 on the death of the patron, Ciriaco Mattei. His will had established an entail on the villa and its decorations with the purpose of preserving the collection intact and in situ. Although the collection was dispersed in the 18th century and the garden's original design destroyed, the inventory together with 17th-century views make it possible to reconstruct the original layout and the location of the fountains and sculptural decorations. Two principal iconographic themes can be found in the decorations. The legend of Hercules and his labors is the subject of several of the fountains and of the labyrinth; there were also an unusual number of Hercules statues and herms in the garden. The Roman Circus with the games performed in it was represented in the Prato, the large hippodrome-shaped area by the main casino. The obelisk donated to Ciriaco by the Roman Conservatori in 1582 occupied the center of the area, and the terminal stepped exedra recalled the shape of the Roman circus, while statues placed in the Prato represented types of games performed in the circus. This paper relates the two themes to circumstances and events in the Mattei family history, explains the choice of themes, and suggests the probable purpose of the decorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]