Roman art was closely related to late Greek art – indeed, as the Romans conquered more and more Greek cities, more and more Greet art found its way to Rome. The same is true of Greek artists, who found in the Roman ruling classes keen patrons of their work. Nevertheless, Roman sculpture in particular has anunmissablecharacteristic all its own. The sculptural portraits of leading Romans of the late Republic and early Empire are simple and dignified, and above all startlingly realistic We really do know what Julius Caesar looked like! To see them “in the flesh”, so to speak, is an awe-inspiring experience.