Hercules Battling the Lernaean Hydra

This relief (c. 2nd–3rd c. AD) depicts Hercules in his battle against the multi-headed Hydra, one of his twelve labors. With heroic calm, he grapples with the serpents entwined around a female-bodied monster. The image celebrates Roman virtues of strength and perseverance in the face of chaos, a triumph of order over monstrosity.