 Located
towards the end of the
Curetes Street, it was
called the Hercules gate because of the relief
of Hercules on it. It was brought from another
place in the fourth century AD to its current
place, but the relief on it dates back to the
second century AD.
Only the two side of the columns remain today
and the other parts of it have not been found.
The relief of the flying Nike in the
Domitian
Square is thought to also be a part of this
gate.
The Heracles Gate narrowed the access to the
street, preventing the passage of vehicles.We
can understand that from the Fourth Century, the
street had become a pedestrian area.
In these reliefs Heracles was depicting with the
skin of the Nemean lion in myhtology. The Nemean
lion had been terrorizing the area around Nemea,
and had a skin so thick that it was impossible
to kill it. Finally he wrestled the lion to the
ground, eventually killing it by thrusting his
arm down its throat and choking it to death.
Heracles was the god of power and strenght. |
