Our cast of this sculpture was made after the face was restored; the original, now with the restorations removed, appears considerably more battered. With no written or archaeological evidence, the task of identifying the portrait is very difficult.

The claim that it represents the African-Roman poet Terence, based on the supposedly north African facial features, is doubtful given the visual evidence. Equally unconvincing is the claim that it is the Roman philosopher, statesman and orator Cicero, whose other portraits bear only a passing resemblance.

The latest thinking is that the portrait is a Roman copy of a Greek original, identity unknown