The Transmission, Transformation and Cultural Adaptation of the Heracles Imagery from the Near East to East Asia (4th century BC–10th century AD)

This thesis examines the transmission and diversity of transformation of the Heracles motif into the East, tracing its dissemination from the Near East via Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent towards East Asia in the wake of Alexander the Great’s campaigns in the 4th century BC. While there is abundant evidence indicating that the Heracles motif migrated from the Mediterranean to the East mainly as a result of Alexander’s expeditions — further elaborated by extensive research on the reception of Heracles imagery by non- (or not entirely) Greek cultures — less attention has been paid to how the Heracles (or Heraclean) imagery was disseminated and modified across a wider geographical and temporal spectrum, especially beyond the Near East. This thesis provides an extensive typological catalogue of works discovered in regions and cultural spheres east of the Mediterranean from approximately the 4th century BC to the 10th century AD that are deemed to exhibit formal similarities with those of Heracles from the Mediterranean. Given the considerable number of works that were influenced or possibly inspired by the Heracles motif through various socio-historical interactions over a long-time span, this study identifies the key themes and figurative types of Heracles that contributed to the longevity of the motif and stimulated its transformation, particularly in Buddhist figural arts and some secular adaptations in Iranian, Indian and Chinese cultures. By examining the enduring appeal and reinterpretation of the Heracles figure and discussing the complex interactions that accompanied the motif’s diffusion, the thesis proposes different transmission routes and means through which the various types of images and motifs could have migrated to the further East, thus enhancing the “research map” of the eastward transmission of Heraclean imagery.