The portraits of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, reflect his authority and his almost superhuman charisma. He took particular care of his image all through his reign, combining the idealism inherited from Alexander the Great with the Roman realism of the republican portraits of the 1st century BCE. Recognisable by his carefully arranged locks, high forehead, prominent cheekbones and determined chin, Augustus displayed deliberately classical features. His stern expression suggests both the return to order that he championed and the majesty of the imperial function he embodied.