Nike Crowning Hercle

Nike, the winged goddess of victory, flies down to crown the Etruscan hero Hercle--known to the Greeks as Herakles--on the intaglio of this scarab. Herakles is identified by his club and the lionskin tied around his neck. At the side, water pours from a lion's head spout, indicating a fountain. Scarabs were introduced to Etruria in the later 500s B.C., first through Greek imports and then through emigrant Greek artists. In this period many Ionian artists, including gem carvers, fled Persian aggression in their homeland. Some went to Etruria, which was a stable and wealthy region. In Etruria the jewelry aspect of the scarab was emphasized: the beetle sits on a decorated plinth and its anatomy is carved in detail, usually with incised winglets and stippled heads. The scarab form remained popular into the late 400s and 300s B.C. in Etruria, long after it had gone out of style in Greece.