The portrait of Commodus associates himself to the Roman hero and god, Hercules. The lion skin that the portrait wears is how Hercules is usually depicted with wearing. Alongside, he is holding the club Hercules uses as a weapon to help him with his twelve labors.

The importance of these defining features is how the emperor wants the attributes of the Hercules to also be given to him by illustration. Through these iconographies, the audience can tell that the emperor is being portrayed with the same heroic and bravery.

This piece contributes to the exhibit because it continues the trend of emperors associating themselves with attributes that provide them an illustration as a dividic form.