Roman Emperors - Real Faces - Ancient Rome

I was feeling bored one day and as a history enthusiast took up the challenge to recreate the real faces of roman emperors. In my surprise, as these faces came to life I could see that to be a roman emperor you needed to be imposing, to have good, strong facial features.
You can clearly see the shift from the intelligent, philosopher, handsome look of the late 2nd Century AD emperors and the later rugged, heavy build faces of the so called "barracks emperors" during the 3rd century crisis.
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[@rolandojr.antonio6855]

For sure, these Roman Emperors are good looking men.

[@Martinus777]

Funnily enough, the more murderous ones always look the best.

[@maia993]

And psychotic also

[@hughjass1835]

Probably not, they would've killed the sculptors and artists had they made them appear as ugly as they probably really were

[@maia993]

@@hughjass1835 Yes!

[@alvarogill]

@@hughjass1835 exactly

[@wonderwinder1]

In my life, I’ve wanted nothing more than a luxurious head of curls like Commodus. I’m bald.

[@Satellite_Of_Love]

Julius Caesar was very sensitive about his own baldness. It's one of the reasons he often wore a laurel wreath, vanity as well as victory (not to mention that it really pissed off the more conservative members of the Senate, and he enjoyed doing that lol). Domitian was rumored to have written a manual on hair care as well, as he supposedly had thinning hair. Wigs were pretty popular in Ancient Rome, I wonder if some busts are depicting a wig rather than their own hair. It's very likely that Commodus' hair is his own, but you never know.

[@Yo_Soy_Andres_Cuetlachtli]

Same

[@Puzzoozoo]

Commodus has a cruel looking face, and Caracalla looks like someone you wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of.

[@Satellite_Of_Love]

Geta could have told you that about Caracalla, if he hadn't been killed in front of his mother on Caracalla's orders. Just one of the reasons why the rule of the Severens is sometimes referred to as the "Troubled Severen Dynasty".

[@ghee-yyy]

Wasnt Commodus described as extremely handsome ?

[@elisabettamacghille4623]

Professional politicians, soldiers, philosophers and intellectuals, debauched criminals, high ranking young men or aristocrats, smart villains, or good and wise men .. what a wonderful complex world Roman artists sculpted for us! Your work is great because it helps in understanding that beyond history, there are true human beings with their real lives. Thank you very much my good sir.

[@farooqghory5432]

By looking at statues i used to think roman emperors were alien or different species but after looking at this pics one realizes they were also humans like us

[@outcast668]

Everyday people you'd see either behind the counters or mechanics shop, friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers...

[@serenitybay5544]

No selfies in those days, lol.!

[@outcast668]

@@serenitybay5544 Strike a goofy pose, and hold it for 4 to 6 weeks...lol...

[@theemirofjaffa2266]

They were gods, remember

[@Michael_the_Drunkard]

You don't say

[@laken1804]

Seeing the bland statues come to life, gives a new perspective on reading about them. Suddenly they are story not history.

[@gianlucarossi5672]

Thumps up and compliment for getting the pigmentation of Romans right, not too pale and not too dark. Countless ignorant folks think, that the ancient Romans and Greeks had the skin complexion of Indians. They also think that olive skin tone means super tanned, nearly dark brown skin. Anyway, your channel is underrated and deserves more views. Plus, you're way better than Voshart who for PC reasons changed his original photo-real portraits of the Roman emperors, by making several Roman emperors as dark as sub- Saharan Africans.

[@jjgf8412]

Es lo que sucede cuando la obra la hacen mediterráneos o no

[@CC-8891]

Blackwashing of history. Some roman emperors were from Syria like Caracalla and Elagabalus but they weren't black or Indian looking.

[@gianlucarossi5672]

@@CC-8891 Tell that SJW, woke Voshart. This guy insist on making the Punic and Syrian Emperors dark as SSAs.

[@CC-8891]

@@gianlucarossi5672 Oh I'm with you 100%. I've avoided his videos due to his SJW reputation. I thought this video to be the most accurate I've seen.

[@ernestorobles8401]

i think this video this video should have get those skins a bit darker in some cases in here some emperators looks like nowadays germans, and thats probably not true

[@pamelaturnbull4344]

Bloody marvellous, addicted to these now ! Keep 'em coming pleeeease !

[@user-rq4kf6dr7t]

They’re handsome like Italian men nowadays . This is the best one .

[@EarlRegent]

You guys think anything white is handsome lol

[@harryjackson3867]

Sorry to say most of them weren’t Italian

[@user-rq4kf6dr7t]

@@EarlRegent No,just more handsome men than Asians,maybe:25% of whites can be called handsome men,but only 8% of Asian can be call handsome men.......I have a mix face of western and eastern ,I know what is handsome .

[@EarlRegent]

@@user-rq4kf6dr7t See I was right, you think your own race is not handsome and you think white people are. That's kind of sickening to be honest. Its also stereotypical of Asians. You are proving the stereotype right, you worship white

[@EarlRegent]

@@fantasticgirl678 Not the original Romans , modern day Southern Italians might have some resemblance to North Africans

[@babajaga39]

Wow! Thank you! I just wanted to see the Constantines, and did it! Really fine job!

[@MultiAlanR]

Edward Norton would be perfect to play Marcus Aurelius in a movie

[@jennifersawyer8207]

Or Christian Bale!

[@portgasempire7867]

Daniel Craig would play Trajan

[@eeliasb3722]

Looks like people don't change much after centuries. In those faces I see my family friends and neighbors from back home.

[@fast03vette4me]

No one talks about haircuts in history. I want to know who did their hair? YOU LOOK MARVELOUS!

[@johngarbarini8474]

The same guy who cut the 3 Stooges's hair.

[@vivians9392]

It looks like most of them had thick curly hair, as many Italians do today.

[@freckleheckler6311]

@@vivians9392 that’s not curly thick. It’s wavy and thick.

[@christinegatto7426]

@@freckleheckler6311 Beautiful just the same!

[@anakostelac2192]

Please can you do the real faces of other Emperors like Augustus,Tiberius,Caligula,Claudius,Nero,Titus,Domitian,Hadrian and Trajan,i would really love to see it

[@panagiotisconstantinou]

Sure!

[@beckfromoz3191]

@@panagiotisconstantinou Someone bet me too it!!! Yes!!!

[@heliotropezzz333]

@@panagiotisconstantinou Don't forget their wives also.

[@Tabaraka562]

Maybe you took Caracalla’s photograph as he looks like a North African. There is a monument in Tebessa, ancient times called Theveste, named after this emperor...

[@Satellite_Of_Love]

Septimius Severus, if I remember correctly, was born in a Roman province in Africa (modern day Libya). His own father was of Carthaginian origin (modern day Tunis).

[@BNTER]

Very well done! These look more realistic than others what i saw :)

[@MisterDutch93]

+1 for using Mass Effect 2's OST.

[@fairabbigailgrace]

I was hoping I wasn't the only one who recognized the music!

[@cynthiablandford6213]

Some of these men where beautiful!!

[@heliotropezzz333]

*were. Probably not so much in reality.

[@chrisinnes2128]

Yes and some of them looked like the wrong end of a pitbull

[@cynthiablandford6213]

@@chrisinnes2128 😆😆😆

[@jessicacaleno1998]

@@chrisinnes2128 so just like us humans today then? 😆

[@juanareyes7119]

Beautiful from the outside Evil from the inside .

[@shaundavenport621]

Lucius Verus looks spot on.Not that I knew him personally! 😁

[@annipetratos9401]

Excellent, makes me feel a bit spooked

[@jacobhartmann1050]

Same. That was my first comment to my wife...

[@caroletraynor8763]

Yes, I felt the same way.

[@jonathanwatanabe8246]

This is incredible, but what's more shocking is just how lifelike the actual marble busts are. Just how much did the Romans know that we've lost forever?

[@daviddickey9832]

Constantine Chlorus looks like someone I'd expect to see on top chef.

[@suhailiismail4497]

Handsome men were timeless.

[@onitasanders7403]

I must admit I am simply blown away by your creations. The MUSIC however for me is the “‘cherry on the cake”, as they use to say. Where, oh where do you find these wonderful scores. I can literally see each one of these creations in battle or just ruling the masses if that is the case. Are these from film scores? Enquiring minds would like to know. There is something very muscular with the music when you place it behind these images.

[@michaelscreen6921]

Amazing work sir...Well done, Im fascinated with what you have done

[@siemenvandcamp]

I wonder why you don't keep the hairstyle in a lot of the cases.

[@luxborealis]

Probably because hair on Roman and Greek statues tendes to be highly stylized to evoke Alexander’s curly, flowing hair.

[@abigail1023]

I think maybe because the programs used to create the faces contain only more generic hairstyles and not these ancient and elaborate ones seen on the statues?

[@StrunDoNhor]

He's not the one actually recreating the faces. It's an AI algorithm, similar to a Deepfake. Hair is one area that's always a bit tricky to get right. AI's can only replicate images based on the data you feed them.

[@yohancereece2509]

I like the Mass Effect 2 game sound track with the video good job

[@antony5430]

If you are from Italy or around the Mediterranean. You have big chance that you are seeing the face of your ancestor.

[@corneliuscornia4436]

@Gary Allen You forget about the Roman Legions in the North of England they were mostly Thracians and Dacians from the Balkans.

[@georgebaccett9951]

The pure Romans (royal houses) were white, blond, and light-eyed, but as the empire expanded they began to mix. but originally the romans are white

[@faisalatcha1783]

The last one looked scary af

[@Msmartix1]

Wow! They were so sexy... Lucius Verus looked like Kim Rossi Stuart, and Arcadius looked like young Keanu Reeves! Make more videos like this please!

[@wednesdayschild3627]

We are Italian. I know those faces. He looks like a true Roman, Lazio province.

[@spamtelevision]

100% fake! The roman empire is faaaake

[@someguywhoenjoymusic1961]

@@spamtelevision is this a joke?

[@majormarketing6552]

The return of the Roman Empire is the answer to china and middle east

[@wednesdayschild3627]

@@majormarketing6552 here is little secret, Rome still rules the world. All roads lead to Rome. The banks control everything. The founding fathers of usa knew it. They never wanted central bank. They saw that the banks manipulated currencies and caused wars in europe. Everyone points to religion. Banks causes wars not religion.

[@melisademir9137]

3:37 he looks middle eastern

[@GrumpyL5]

These are really good, hair and mouths are better than some others.

[@teriannetime4444]

Beautiful Images!

[@gaelicwarrior5064]

1:35 Edward Norton 2:00 Ashton Kutcher 3:10 Dustin Diamond (Screech) 4:00 Tom Payne

[@GTxxx88]

1:30 Marcus Aurelius reencarnado como Luciano “Laucha” Luchetti de locos x el asado.

[@adelorenita6085]

Está bien guapo entonces 🙂

[@kevinpatrick8325]

Es edward norton

[@deingeist9678]

Habe diese Namen noch nie gehört, außer Marcus Aurelius, Constantin und Arcadius. Ich bin immer begeistert, was für schönes, dichtes und lockiges Haar manche hatten. Heute gibt es fast nur noch Glatzen.

[@poppycalliope6793]

Not only is your work brilliant, you always seem to have the background music nailed too!!

[@georgebaccett9951]

The modern italian: Romans + Germanic tribes (Ostrogoths, Heruli, Lombards, Normans) and to a lesser extent (southern Italy) Greeks + Romans + Normans

[@TheGuiido]

Thank you

[@robertoboehler-blumenau-sc8818]

add arab to the southern italian mix as well.

[@amosnaftali2495]

Today they have Arab and Berber admixture

[@apostolia2124]

My favorite one is Marcus Aurelius, like today's model!!!!! and one of the wiser men in power ever! GREAT JOB PANAYOTIS, thanks a million🙂😀👌👍✌

[@Robinwhiteart]

You do tend to make them more attractive than they really were. Roman sculpture is known for it accuracy in portraying faces despite some bias of rivals and the sculptors who were employed who preferred to stay alive and did as they were told when producing their works. Consider that when you "pretty them up."

[@MonikaEscobar1965]

Wow! This is so fascinating! Thank you!

[@Henrodful]

I've always imagined Constantine the Great in real life to look intimidating and scary, so I did not expect something like that at all; he looks like he is half Asian. Good job on all of them!

[@ntonisa6636]

He was from modern day Serbia. Also these renditions or even the statues on which they're based are not necessarily 100 % accurate depictions of the real person. I'm not aware of the exact methodology used for these reconstructions but I've seen several attempts each arrive at different results

[@theemirofjaffa2266]

I am very certain that's not how he looked

[@Satellite_Of_Love]

He has a cunning look to him, which is fitting.

[@ntonisa6636]

@Gary Allen did I ever mention any slavs? And how are Dacians relevant here? Nis/Naisus is way south, Dacians used to live north of the Danube. As for fair features,etc I did not mention anything but in any case it's not necessarily an IE trait, blue eyes for example are said to have been very common with prehistoric hunter-gatherers

[@ntonisa6636]

Actually now that I think about it he was half "Asian" . His mother was from Bithynia which is technically in Asia

[@cerberus6654]

Really stunning work! The music is a little bit overpowering though - you don't need it fighting with the visuals.

[@ahmedelazzap8416]

Hi i love your video do pharaohs.

[@petertamburello6776]

I think your recreation deviates too much from the statue version you should stick closer to facial bust....you'd be surprised how accurate the Roman sculptures were to the real image

[@Satellite_Of_Love]

I've always wondered about the accuracy. Some emperors would give you the impression that they would want a bit of flattery (Nero for one).

[@Nabila4140]

Arcadius looks so beautiful handsome young boy 💕

[@brucefreadrich1188]

Commodus - drowned in the bath by a wrestler - age 31 after being sole emperor for 12 years. Elagabalus- murdered along with his mother by the Praetorian guard (bodies tossed in the Tibur) - age 18 after being emperor for four years. Hostilian - either died of the plague or murdered (sources are split) - age unknown (20s) after being emperor for 6 months. Marcus Aurelius - unknown illness - age 58 after being emperor for 19 years Lusius Verus - co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius for 8 years - died of food poisoning or smallpox - age 39 Balbinus - assassinated by the Praetorian guard - aged approximately 40 after being emperor for 4 months. Maximmus Thrax - killed by mutinous soldiers - age 65 after being emperor for 3 years. Constantius Clorus - unknown disease - age 56 after being emperor for 1 year. Caracalla - stabbed while taking a piss - age 29 after being emperor for 6 years. Arcadius - considered something of a simpleton - cause of death unknown - Eastern emperor for 13 years died age 31. Constantine the Great - died after an illness of several months - age 65 having been emperor for 31 years.

[@mikearneson3108]

I wonder if ol Commodus would be angry if he knew he was best remembered as having a toilet named after him!

[@beckfromoz3191]

The one I wanted to see the most was Augustus. Can you do that please?

[@heliotropezzz333]

And his wife Livia please?

[@patriziasforza8484]

He's in an another video.

[@Borderose]

He looks like Daniel Craig.

[@hughcapetien]

I will bet there isn't a bust of Augustus in his old age! Suetonius made a few references of his elderly appearance as having small decaying teeth - or few teeth, a weak jaw, going blind in one eye and a yellowish hair that was unkempt.

[@bryan5408]

This is really great, very insightful. Could you also do this for Chinese philosophers/generals based on portraits/statues? For example Confucius, Mencius, Laozi (as far as possible in this case), Zhuangzi, Sun Tzu, etc. Thanks!

[@josephmarzullo]

Well, they’re all Asian, so they would pretty much look the same 😂

[@turndroid234]

Remember people, these are just artist's interpretations only. Don't take it seriously.

[@LECAPITAINEJACK]

Commodus was such a cutie.

[@FrantisekVisivka]

Arcadius looks like an english student of college from Victorian era.

[@kingspore5000]

Commodus, Caracalla and Heliogabalus are my favourite mad Roman emperors

[@johngreen3543]

You forgot Caligula and Nero, they were also unstable personalities. We did not get their flesh and blood color renditions Please do them.

[@hschiff9843]

Awesome job.... the images are exactly like the statues; especially Commodus, Lucius Verus and Caracalla... glad to see emperors from the Byzantine Empire BTW someone on KZbin whose name is MAHLOU DC is showing your videos; I don’t know if she has permission to do so

[@aylacristina7295]

Lucius Verus was so handsome!!!!

[@jossphcohen724]

Very well done. Constantine the great was a miss where's the double chin so promenent in his statue's.

[@paulshealthfitness7922]

I think they exaggerated the size of the eyes on that statue

[@jossphcohen724]

Your right my friend he almost looks like an alien.

[@dianaconnors4700]

Wonderful 👏🏼👏🏼, I simply love the music so powerful like these men in their time .

[@callas9310]

Typically italien faces...Except Alexander. Handsome in fact. Thx for your exceptionnal work.

[@davidferrari7543]

The Ancient Roman people were tanned Mediterranean type just like Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, George Clooney, Rafael Nadal, Eva Longoria, kim Kardashian, J Stalin, Catherine Z jones, Salma hayek etc

[@ReviveHF]

Emperor Constantine looks like modern day Greek and Turkish male models.

[@ryan7864]

He was born in modern day Serbia

[@DediSunda18]

Sangat Bagus👍 saya sangat menyukai tayangan ini, Terimakasih Salam...semoga sehat sejahtera selalu🙏

[@verleguntrumjr.2787]

They’re all so young...

[@alexporter7379]

Many of these emperors served for only a few years before assassination.

[@Jose-xh5qb]

Dying young tends to happen if you have praetorian guards.

[@andrewpestotnik5495]

Most Emperors were under 30

[@marial8235]

Lucius Verus🥰❤. (Elagabalus was pretty.)

[@susandavey2361]

Some good looking chaps back in the day

[@iAxianguy]

Wow! So real looking. Nice!

[@maia993]

The fear in Balbinus eyes, it tells a lot.

[@stainedglasssparrow9636]

Balbinus ruled during troubled times, the so-called Crisis of the Third Century when emperors were often the subject of assassinations by ambitious rivals due to the loss of respect and legitimacy for the office since the time of Commodus, who did much to heap scorn for emperors. Commodus, Geta, Caracalla, Macrinus, Heliogabalus, Alexander Severus, Maximus Thrax all dying by assassination.

[@Thereasonable129]

Maximus Thrax looks like a guy who could easily pick up a fight.

[@nafvol5053]

not a good idea to fight him,he was enormous,one of the biggest men to ever live

[@stainedglasssparrow9636]

He was described as being nearly eight feet tall, an enormous man even by today's standards. It's not a good idea to get on his bad side.

[@bliss5461]

Very mesmerizing!

[@izauraalmeida2357]

Espetacular!!!!!

[@lupodimontenero661]

I have read many comments on the concept of beauty, it must be said that this concept is based, and varies according to the culture of each people. As for us Italians, assuming that the Latin DNA is preponderant, we are, and have always been, the result of a remarkable cocktail of ethnic groups (I hate the term races). Pre Indo-Europeans - Indo-Europeans- Semites * - Celts - Germans and peoples from Scandinavia * * Normans - Spaniards - French-Germans - Slavs - .... only aliens are missing ^^ (which by the way, ^^ the word alien is from the Latin alienus = foreigner. * DNA of Semitic peoples began to mix with the Roman-Latin one with the Punic wars when between 250,000 and 500,000 Carthaginian slaves arrived in Italy, another wave was with the Arab occupation of Sicily, and the much shorter one of the Bari area. ** The Goths and the Lombards, both peoples who came from the Gotland area; the Lombards carried out a very long, centuries-old migration, during which they mixed with other populations, including: Marcomanni, Cherusci, Ossi Swabians, etc. Each subsequent invasion drove the previous peoples towards the mountains, depriving them of the fertile lands of the plains. This is how where I live, at the foot of the central Apennines in Tuscany, in the mountains in small towns like Poppi, Pratovecchio, Stia, Soci (formerly Etruscan-Roman cities) there are a lot of redheads ^ ________ ^, copper-colored hair skin white freckles and green eyes! mmmm, I skipped high school and visited them on my motorbike (giggles).

[@lupodimontenero661]

@Ilyass ELK it is true, there were not a high percentage of those who lived in Italy or in Rome, but strangely there were a certain number of emperors and cultural men of North African origin: Terentius, Marziano Capella, Frontone, Apuleio, Tertullianus, the emperors Septimius Severus, Macrino and Emiliano; the first of Punic-African origins, the other two from the Mauri people.

[@user-oy6is7ry8n]

You have forgoten the Greeks of south Italy, Magna Grecia...

[@lupodimontenero661]

@@user-oy6is7ry8n ^^ I have not forgotten them I include them in the Mediterranean Indo-European populations, however you are right I had to mention them, especially since they arrived in the peninsula very early already at the time of the Achaeans, before the Dorians and the Greek "Middle Ages", in the image various Achaean's colonies in southern Italy www.tarentumfestival.com/tarentum/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/COLONIE01.jpg

[@lupodimontenero661]

@Ilyass ELK thx for the links

[@lupodimontenero661]

@King of kings no, I have not forgotten, but, genetically speaking, more than the ancient Carthaginian settlements in Sicily and Sardinia, the number of slaves of Carthaginian origin (we are talking about a variable number between 250,000 and 500,000) who entered Italy was more important because of the three Punic wars

[@lgk8469]

Великолепно! Словно живые! Очень симпатичные молодые люди!

[@lisarivera8718]

Beautiful!! 💖

[@kseniyazarubina5484]

Marcus looks smart and kind, and commodus evil and unsettling. Hard to believe it's his son.

[@hughcapetien]

By some accounts - NOT!

[@theart8039]

Probably a bit flattering on some of them but cool to watch

[@imgonewiththewindfab]

Lucius verus 😍😍😍

[@jobes4525]

Awesome!❤️

[@richardque1036]

Lucius verus look like a male model.

[@stevenwilgus5422]

Thank you for breathing life into marble. I used to be very good at using Maya for work in 3D modelling. Well Done on mapping , lighting and animation.

[@a_random_guy_with_a_HUGE_name_]

You are the most talented . I like your vidoes. 👍👍👍

[@A808K]

Illuminating... enjoyed it ! TY

[@panagiotisconstantinou]

Ty

[@matthewmann8969]

I was expecting more Olive faces then White faces.

[@dorasmith7875]

Good job. I wondered how every single Roman emperor could have had such an unnaturally broad face, and why they ALL looked half mad!

[@mauricioramirez9744]

Commodus lookin' high af. Hostilian and Caracalla look like they could be my cousins.

[@panatypical]

Some pretty interesting fleshouts. Heliogabalus looks like David Byrne. His ears are way asymmetrical though. I'll bet if David Byrne was a Roman emperor he'd behave just like him. Balbinus looks kinda like Bruce Willis, and Maximus Thrax looks like Woody Harrelson.

[@Aspfoi0611]

3:25 uhh caracalla your eyes is kinda oofed

[@jmpg91]

Great work Panayiotis!

[@panagiotisconstantinou]

Thanks 😊

[@issevin6788]

Great done

[@tessierashpoolmg7776]

Ah yes, Thrax! Tough to beat him......

[@Neboolosa]

Very very good! Thank you

[@bounlathhansackda7079]

Immortalized in marble to digitized .some scary looking too

[@carliganus2012]

Thank you for this video 👌

[@al7530]

My favourite are Marco Aurelio and Lucio Vero😁

[@fasterrix]

Great job! 👏👏👏

[@ivannaempress2347]

Would love to see the process as well. that be so cool how it transforms.

[@williamtoad8040]

I can see Maximinius Thrax being a military emperor he looks like someone that’s in a complete military uniform. Caracalla looks Middle Eastern af, and Constantine looks like a frat boy turned investment banker

[@Alvin-dt3lp]

0:44 The best

[@debmorrison2847]

I would love to see Panagiotis do this for Louis XIV as a younger man . . I bet it would be of interest at Versailles

[@jackquinnes]

This is an illustrative test to our imagination and sensibilities. Can we bring history back alive but through CGI and Hollywood spectacle. We should and we could. That is our humble duty when a marble statue watches back at us without a blink.