This is not a portrait of an emperor but has the hallmarks of a lesser ranking Roman. The blank eyes and the characterful lines around them are typical of the first century CE, when there was a vogue for ‘veristic’ portraits. Despite this name it is unlikely that such portraits are true to life. It is more probably a particular form of idealism, showing the qualities that appealed to the traditional Roman elite: dignity, seniority, sobriety and gravitas