skip to content

Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases

Unknown Roman Head from Ostia

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

Number: 
624
Location of Original: 

Rome, National Museum, 353

Size: 
0.32m
Accession: 

Transferred from the Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke, Munich, 29-30 October 1991

References: 

Helbig: Führer durch die Sammlungen Klassischer Altertümer in Rom III (1969), 215, no. 2299
Hekler: Greek and Roman Portraits, pl. 139

Date: 
C1 CE
Provenance: 

Found near the Baths of Neptune in Ostia in 1888

Search Casts

Use our search tools to search the Casts Archive

Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge

Every cast tells two stories.
One ancient. One modern.

Admission is free.

We are open

Opening hours

Tues-Fri: 11am-2pm
Sat: 2-5pm (Univ. term-time only)
Sun & Mon: Closed

Closed on Bank Holiday Mondays

Visit us

Museum of Classical Archaeology
Faculty of Classics
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge
CB3 9DA

Get in touch

Tel. +44 (0)1223 330402
Email

Facebook Twitter

For an explanation of what personal information we gather when you visit the University’s website and details of how that information is used please see the following University Privacy policy:

https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-this-site/privacy-policy

Copyright statement

All images and material on our websites are ©Museum of Classical Archaeology, University of Cambridge unless otherwise stated. Permission is required to reproduce our images.

See also our Copyright Notice and Take Down Policy.

Important Information

Museum of Classical Archaeology Web Accessibility Statement