Torso of Polyphemus

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The imposing figure of Polyphemus stands proudly as a marble masterpiece in the Altemps Collection within Palazzo Altemps in Rome, Italy. This robust male torso, cataloged in the Altemps inventories as "Hercules, partially constructed from brick and partially crafted from marble," has been subject to various interpretations over time, with some believing it to be Polyphemus, the one-eyed cyclops blinded by Odysseus, others seeing it as Atlas, the Titan god of unwavering endurance, and still more considering it a representation of Hercules, the renowned Greek hero. A strong likelihood suggests that this torso is part of a group similar to those discovered at Sperlonga, depicting the scene of Odysseus blinding Polyphemus, dating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD.