Quadrans (Coin) Depicting the Hero Hercules

Art Historical Context

This diminutive bronze quadrans, struck by Ancient Romans between 225 and 217 BCE, showcases the hero Hercules on one side, capturing his iconic attributes like the club and lion's skin. Measuring just 4.5 cm in diameter, it was the smallest denomination in early Roman coinage—worth a quarter of the as—used for everyday transactions in the bustling markets of the Roman Republic. As part of the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts Greece, Rome, andantium collection, it exemplifies the shift from cast bronze bars to hammered, struck coins, a technological leap that allowed for intricate designs on mi...

About the Artist

Ancient Roman

The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...