The Farnese Bull (Toro Farnese) depicting the Torment of Dirce on display in the Naples Archaeological Museum is the largest single marble sculpture to have survived from antiquity.
One of the highlights to see in the marvelous National Museum of Archaeology in Naples is the Farnese Bull, the largest sculpture carved from a single block of marble that survived (in fragments) from antiquity. This Roman marble sculpture group from the second century illustrates the run-up to the violent death of Dirce. Antiope’s sons are tying her to a wild bull to be dragged to her death on the streets of Thebes. A lot of action for which a lot of marble was used.
Farnese Bull Marble Sculpture Group in Naples
The Farnese Bull (Toro Farnese), or more accurately, Group with the Torment of Dirce (Gruppo con il supplizio di Dirce), was produced by artists of the first Severian Age (AD 222-235). It was probably based on a Greek work from the 2nd century BC.
The colossal sculpture group featuring a bull, two nude young men (Amphion and Zethus), two adult women (Dirce and Antiope), a child, and several smaller animals, was originally carved from a single block of Asian marble. It illustrates the violent death of Dirce (see more on this plot-twisting Greek myth below).
As with the Farnese Hercules at Rest, it was originally placed at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome around the time of its creation. It was probably buried by an earthquake in 847 and rediscovered in 1546, in pieces (or “fragmented conditions” as the MANN museum prefers).
The Farnese Bull was extensively restored in the 16th, 18th, and 19th centuries with some additions probably not used in the original. (In contrast, the Farnese Ercole is largely complete from antiquity.) Even Michelangelo got involved by preparing the work as a centerpiece for a large fountain in Rome that was never built.
See the Farnese Bull in the Naples Archaeological Museum
The Farnese Bull is currently displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (MANN), Inv. 6002, opposite the colossal Hercules at Rest, as the two highlights of the magnificent Farnese Collection of sculptures from antiquity.
In its current form, the colossal group sculpture measures 3.70 m (12 ft) tall and nearly 3 m (10 ft) wide and deep. It weighs almost 22 tonnes.
The artificial lighting in the museum (and camera settings) greatly affects the sculpture’s appearance. The fine-grained marble is more yellowish-white, or cream, than bright white.
→ See also Hercules at Rest (Ercole Farnese) for more details on how the Farnese Collection ended up in Naples and Visit the National Archaeological Museum of Naples for more on this amazing collection of art from antiquity.
Greek Myth of Dirce and Antiope
The Toro Farnese illustrates the moment before the violent death of Dirce, queen of Thebes.
Greek mythology is complex and often contradictory versions exist. Skipping over the finer details, the basic story of Dirce and Antiope is:
Antiope, the beautiful daughter of King Nycteus of Thebes, fell pregnant and is banished in disgrace. However, (plot twist!) Epopeus, the king of Sicyon, fell in love and married her.
Angered by his daughter’s good luck, Nycteus made his brother Lycus pledge to punish the couple. Nycteus committed suicide. As the new king of Thebes, Lycus destroyed Sicyon, killed Epopues, and hauled the highly pregnant Antiope back to Thebes.
En route, Antiope gave birth to the twins Amphion and Zethus, who were left exposed on the mountain to die. (Plot twist! A kind shepherd took them in and raised them as his own sons.)
Back in Thebes, King Lycus allowed his wife Dirce to punish Antiope. Jealous of her beauty, Dirce burned Antiope’s hair with a hot iron, forced her to work, and kept her chained up day and night — alone and in filthy conditions.
The Reveal!
After many years, Antiope managed to escape. By luck, she begged for help at the very hut where her sons and the merciful shepherd lived.
Soon the truth came out. Not only is Antiope their lost mother, but their real father (surprise!) is Zeus, who in the form of a Satyr had raped and impregnated Antiope all those years ago (but being busy only now got around to giving some assistance).
Amphion and Zethus promptly attacked Thebus and killed Lycus to reclaim their rightful throne. To avenge their mother, Dirce is tied to the horns of a wild bull and dragged through the streets until she dies.
Despite their wildly different characters, the two brothers ruled together in peace and harmony (as Greek mythology goes, a fairy-tale ending plot twist on its own!)
The Toro Farnese captures the moment just before Circe is tied to the bull. The two naked young men (they are the sons of a god after all) struggle to get the wild bull under control while a rather passive Antiope directs them from the rear.
In antiquity, Dirce’s torment was of course known and portrayed in art but not very frequently. In later periods, the myth was sometimes associated with re-enactments in the arena with Dirce as the symbol for Christian women being slaughtered by pagans.
For a delightfully written and easy-to-read book on Greek and Roman mythology, consider Philip Freeman’s Oh My Gods: A Modern Retelling of Greek and Roman Myths – available from Amazon or many fine museum bookshops.
→ See also Visit the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples for more on the other Farnese sculptures (including Hercules at Rest) and the best artworks, mosaics, and frescoes from the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
For More on Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples:
- Save with the Campania Arte Card on Sightseeing Ticket and Transportation — in 2024 only available as a mobile phone app — buy the Campania Arte Card online.
- Pompeii Excavations Archaeological Site: Top Tips on Visiting Pompeii, Buying Tickets and Booking Tours & Cheap Transportation to Pompeii. Note: New Pompeii Ticket system in 2024!
- Herculaneum Archaeological Site (Ercolano): Tips on Buying Tickets and When to Visit & Cheap Transportation to Herculaneum (Note in 2024: trains have changed — many guidebooks still have old information!)
- Day Trip from Rome: How to Visit Pompeii by Train from Rome
- Visit the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples – home to the Farnese sculptures (including Hercules at Rest and the Farnese Bull) and the best artworks, mosaics, and frescoes from the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- Book Tours to Pompeii, Herculaneum, or both at Get Your Guide.
- Buy Italian train tickets in English at Trainline — however, often not possible for the commuter train to Ercolano or Pompeii — easy to buy at the station or use the Campania Arte Card.