The emperor, whose portrait is known from many statues and from the same coin representations, is easily recognized by his triangular face, small and close-set eyes and the typical curl of his "pincer" hair. He is depicted standing, and with his head veiled. This element made it possible to recognize his representation in the functions of pontiff maximum, head of the Roman religion, and therefore to date the portrait after 12 BC. C. year in which he assumed this office. The power of Augustus, in fact, can be defined as a principality rather than an imperium: this term in fact indicated the military command, while Octavian Augustus was a princeps, "a first citizen", who over time assumed the most important offices of the state Roman which, moreover, never ceased to be defined as res publica.