We can spend a lifeÂtime readÂing hisÂtoÂries of ancient Rome withÂout knowÂing what any of its emperÂors looked like. Or rather, withÂout knowÂing exactÂly what they looked like: being the leadÂers of the mightÂiÂest politÂiÂcal entiÂty in the WestÂern world, they had their likeÂnessÂes stamped onto coins and carved into busts as a matÂter of course. But such artist’s renÂderÂings inevitably come with a cerÂtain degree of artisÂtic license, a tenÂdenÂcy to mold feaÂtures into slightÂly more impeÂrÂiÂal shapes. SeeÂing the faces of the Roman EmperÂors as we would if we were passÂing them on the street is an expeÂriÂence made posÂsiÂble only by high techÂnolÂoÂgy, and high techÂnolÂoÂgy develÂoped sixÂteen cenÂturies after the fall of the Roman Empire at that.
“Using the neurÂal-net tool ArtÂbreedÂer, PhoÂtoÂshop and hisÂtorÂiÂcal refÂerÂences, I have creÂatÂed phoÂtoÂreÂal porÂtraits of Roman EmperÂors,” writes designÂer Daniel Voshart. “For this project, I have transÂformed, or restored (cracks, noses, ears etc.) 800 images of busts to make the 54 emperÂors of The PrinÂciÂpate (27 BC to 285 AD).”
The key techÂnolÂoÂgy that enables ArtÂbreedÂer to conÂvincÂingÂly blend images of faces togethÂer is what’s called a “genÂerÂaÂtive adverÂsarÂiÂal netÂwork” (GAN). “Some call it ArtiÂfiÂcial IntelÂliÂgence,” writes Voshart, “but it is more accuÂrateÂly described as Machine LearnÂing.” The Verge’s James VinÂcent writes that Voshart fed in “images of emperÂors he colÂlectÂed from statÂues, coins, and paintÂings, and then tweaked the porÂtraits manÂuÂalÂly based on hisÂtorÂiÂcal descripÂtions, feedÂing them back to the GAN.”
Into the mix also went “high-res images of celebriÂties”: Daniel Craig into AugusÂtus, AndrĂ© the Giant into MaxÂimiÂnus Thrax (thought to have been givÂen his “a lantern jaw and mounÂtainÂous frame” by a pituÂitary gland disÂorÂder like that which affectÂed the colosÂsal wrestler). This parÂtialÂly explains why some of these uncanÂniÂly lifeÂlike emperÂors — the biggest celebriÂties of their time and place, after all — look faintÂly familÂiar. Though modÂeled as closeÂly as posÂsiÂble after men who realÂly lived, these exact faces (much like those in the artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence-genÂerÂatÂed modÂern phoÂtographs preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured here on Open CulÂture) have nevÂer actuÂalÂly existÂed. Still, one can imagÂine the emperÂors who inspired Voshart’s PrinÂciÂpate recÂogÂnizÂing themÂselves in it. But what would they make of the fact that it’s also sellÂing briskly in poster form on Etsy?
VisÂit the Roman EmperÂor Project here. For backÂground on this project, visÂit here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Five HardÂcore Deaths SufÂfered By Roman EmperÂors
Play CaeÂsar: TravÂel Ancient Rome with Stanford’s InterÂacÂtive Map
Rome Reborn: Take a VirÂtuÂal Tour of Ancient Rome, CirÂca 320 C.E.
The HisÂtoÂry of Ancient Rome in 20 Quick MinÂutes: A Primer NarÂratÂed by BriÂan Cox
The HisÂtoÂry of Rome in 179 PodÂcasts
Roman StatÂues Weren’t White; They Were Once PaintÂed in Vivid, Bright ColÂors
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall, on FaceÂbook, or on InstaÂgram.
Cant bring up piics largÂer and cant find capÂtions indiÂcatÂing who they are. Is This my or my comÂputÂers probÂlem only? if so how to fix? Pls don’t pubÂlish my E mail. Thanks. K Wiley
They look like RepubÂliÂcans and DemocÂrats. Some things nevÂer change.
An interÂestÂing exerÂcise, but you can realÂly see the effect of the genÂerÂal trend toward more stylÂized artisÂtic renÂderÂings as porÂtraiÂture strayed furÂther from the verism that still held over from the RepubÂliÂcan periÂod (and which had a marked revival under the FlaÂvians). Just look at the wide doe eyes and smooth blank faces of VoluÂsianus, FloÂriÂanus, Carus, CarÂiÂnus, and NumeÂria comÂpared to the grizÂzled and bruÂtalÂly frank visÂages of GalÂba and VesÂpasian.
The skin and hair might look realÂisÂtic comÂpared to marÂble, but the overÂall shapes and proÂporÂtions of the latÂer faces look more like those found in medieval icons than in real peoÂple. And it’s no wonÂder — figÂurÂal repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtion in the Empire was already well on its way toward the medieval style in the third cenÂtuÂry when the porÂtraits on which those reconÂstrucÂtions were based were made.
The fact they all look ScanÂdiÂnaÂvian makes me instantÂly susÂpiÂcious. This is just more EuroÂcenÂtric nonÂsense.
Lucio SepÂtiÂmio Severo PerÂtiÂnax quedĂł perÂfecÂto. incluÂso por sus busÂtos, grabaÂdos y texÂtos descripÂtivos debiĂł ser mucho más moreno.
mmm… May be look like
PosiÂbleÂmente asĂ lucian,más o menos de joven o edad maduÂra. Hay otros que eran de oriÂgen árabe y africano.
They look scanÂdiÂnaÂvian? What does a scanÂdiÂnaÂvian look like? Unless you mean stereoÂtypÂiÂcal nordic blond. Don’t agree with you. SepÂtiÂmus Severus, Caracalla,Geta, HadriÂan, FloÂriÂanus just as a few examÂples do not look scanÂdiÂnaÂvian if by scanÂdiÂnaÂvian you mean nordic. Explain your stateÂment that these recreÂations are euroÂcenÂtric nonÂsense.
They were black!
None of them look ScanÂdiÂnaÂvian, they look MediterÂranean & midÂdle eastÂern lol wtf are you on?
Not all of them do? But also don’t know what you’re getÂting at because southern/Mediterranean EuroÂpeans are EuroÂpeans? And some southern/Mediterranean EuroÂpeans are pale, have blue eyes, have red hair, etc. My grandÂmothÂer who is SicilÂian and Greek is one of the palest peoÂple I know lol My friend from colÂlege who is Lebanese has red hair and green eyes… Stop putting peoÂple into genetÂic molds. I know that many emperÂors were born in othÂer areas of the Empire, like MarÂcus AureÂlius AntonÂiÂnus who was SyrÂiÂan. But come on, Rome startÂed in Italy. Some of the emperÂors are going to look white-ish.
They were Romans.
They litÂerÂalÂly all have brown eyes.Romans were white. I have a friend from PerÂsia, he conÂsidÂers himÂself CauÂcasian. His skin is more of a red tone with black hair and brown eyes.They were white. They weren’t midÂdle eastern/arab or north african/egypitan. They had pale/olive skin colÂor. SpanÂish and SicilÂians had a lighter skin tone. Once the IslamÂic invaÂsions occurred did their skin tone take on darkÂer shades. Look how weak their chins look? Is that a typÂiÂcal ScanÂdiÂnaÂvian trait? I do not think so. We know what they looked like, they had death masks made and an equesÂtriÂan famÂiÂly had a room where all there ancesÂtors faces were plasÂtered on the wall. Get eduÂcatÂed Les.
Agree. GivÂen the geogÂraÂphy where these men origÂiÂnatÂed from and lived. And the fact that there were no easy routes to travÂel cross-counÂtry much less across the world.…
…all of them lookÂing like VIKINGS staight-outÂta-valÂhalÂla is totalÂly unreÂalÂisÂtic.
Also, no obeÂsiÂty, no male patÂtern baldÂness, etc.
And anothÂer thing.…comparing your curÂrent “aunt” from Italy or “friend” from Lebanon to peoÂple from thouÂsands of years ago who were mostÂly locked to their lands (meanÂing they all looked alike).…is a total joke.
That would be like sayÂing all native amerÂiÂcans in North AmerÂiÂca from 5000 years ago should look black with African feaÂtures because my friend from AlabaÂma last year is black and has African feaÂtures.