Contemporary Rendition of Gaius Julius Caesar

This is a contemporary rendition of the Ancient Roman leader, Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE), recreated by Dutch anthropologist Maja D’Hollosy. To make it, D’Hollosy referenced a recent analysis of Caesar by Tom Buijtendorp, two contemporary busts, and coin imagery. The upshot of the composite sculpture illustrates a man who got into power despite, not because of, his good looks. In fact, his head structure suggests a congenital mishaping of the man’s skull. Nevertheless, through his cagey alliances with other leaders, his military prowess, and the force of his charisma, Julius Caesar emerged as a dictator whose reign helped bring about the end of the Roman Republic. One anecdote about his popularity deals with Caesar’s little-known co-Consul (Romans split the executive branch of their government by having two Consuls), Marcus Bibulus. At one point Bibulus tried to block a law Caesar had promoted . . . Not a single Senator paid Bibulus any attention in this and his outcry amounted to nothing. Afterwards, Romans apparently joked that all Roman decrees were “executed during the Consulship of Julius and Caesar” instead of “the Consulship of Bibulus and Caesar.” Well, we all know that the dictator overextended himself, and things eventually went badly for him.