<P> The origin of the realism of Roman portraits may be, according to some scholars, because they evolved from wax death masks . These death masks were taken from bodies and kept in a home altar . Besides wax, masks were made from bronze, marble and terracotta . The molds for the masks were made directly from the deceased, giving historians an accurate representation of typically Roman features . </P> <P> In the days of the Republic, full - size statues of political officials and military commanders were often erected in public places . Such an honor was provided by the decision of the Senate, usually in commemoration of victories, triumphs and political achievements . These portraits were usually accompanied by a dedicatory inscription . If the person commemorated with a portrait was found to have committed a crime, the portrait would be destroyed . </P> <P> Development of the Roman portrait was associated with increased interest in the individual, with the expansion of the social circle portrayed . At the heart of the artistic structure of many Roman portraits is the clear and rigorous transfer of unique features of the model, while still keeping the general style very similar . Unlike the ancient Greek portraits that strived for idealization (the Greeks believed that a good man must be beautiful), Roman portrait sculpture was far more natural and is still considered one of the most realistic samples of the genre in the history of art . </P> <Ul> <Li> <P> The bronze bust of Lucius Junius Brutus, the Capitoline Brutus in the Musei Capitolini, dated late 4th century BC to early 3rd century BC </P> </Li> <Li> <P> The Orator, c. 100 BC, an Etrusco - Roman bronze statue depicting Aule Metele (Latin: Aulus Metellus), an Etruscan man wearing a Roman toga while engaged in rhetoric; the statue features an inscription in the Etruscan alphabet </P> </Li> <Li> <P> The Patrician Torlonia bust of Cato the Elder . 1st century BC </P> </Li> <Li> <P> Scipio Africanus, bronze bust, mid 1st century BC </P> </Li> <Li> <P> Arles bust, marble bust found in the Rhone River near Arles, c. 46 BC </P> </Li> <Li> <P> The Grave relief of Publius Aiedius and Aiedia, 30 BC, Pergamon Museum (Berlin) </P> </Li> <Li> <P> Roman, Republican or Early Imperial, Relief of a seated poet (Menander) with masks of New Comedy, 1st century BC--early 1st century AD, Princeton University Art Museum </P> </Li> </Ul>

Why did the romans create a lot of portraits