In "How to read a Roman Portrait," Nodelman mentions that the Roman veristic portraits, which are mainly portraits of men in later life, are realistic in a way that they display physical characteristics of old men in detail. The wrinkles, blemishes, and balding symbolize the honor of the man's age, as the "ladder of public office normally allowed those who followed it to attain only gradually and after many years to such eminence." The hard-bitten expressions also imply suppressed emotions coming from the emotional strains of the Roman society. Although the portraits are descriptive of facial features, it is not a celebration of the individuality, but a celebration of self-discipline, unquestioning of social bonds, and painstaking conformity.
As opposed to the statue of Augustus from Prima Porta by Polykleitos, which celebrates Augustus' military and politcal might through his breast plate and dolphin and cupid at his feet indicating is heroic victories in war, the Roman portraits are representations of the emotions of nobles oppressed by war and its aftermath. The statues of Augustus from Prima Porta emits a direct message of his power and used for propaganda of the Roman Empire. On the other hand, Roman portraits are a little harder to decipher who and what is described. Through their grim look, viewers explore their emotions and the social background that affected the subjects of the portraits.
