Hercules and Cacus

In Roman Mythology Hercules was the strongest man on earth. Besides tremendous physical strength, he had great self-confidence since he was the mortal son of the gods. Called Heracles by the Greeks, Hercules was not blessed with great intelligence, but his bravery made up for any lack of cunning. He was easily angered, and his sudden outbursts of rage often harmed innocent bystanders.

Here Hercules stands bearing the head of the fire-belching monster Cacus during his tenth attempt for stealing cattle. According to myth,as Heracles slept, the monster took a liking to his herd of cattle and slyly stole eight of them - four bulls and four cows - by dragging them by their tails, so as to leave no trail. In a rage Hercules, found Cacus and beheaded him as punishment of his deeds.

In this statue, Hercules is the symbol of physical strength while Michelangelo’s statue of David, which at one point rested beside Hercules, was the symbol for spiritual strength. The Medici family in Florence esteemed both of these traits and hoped that the statues in the Piazza would symbolize the nature of their reign.