The so-called Pseudo-Seneca

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The Pseudo-Seneca statue stands out as one of the finest Roman bronze busts from the late 1st century BC, unearthed at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum back in 1754. This exceptional piece is just one of about two dozen known examples featuring the same enigmatic face. Initially, it was thought to be a portrait of Seneca the Younger, a renowned Roman philosopher, due to its emaciated features which were believed to embody his Stoic ideals. However, modern scholars now widely accept that this statue is actually a fictional representation, likely created to honor either Hesiod or Aristophanes instead. It's estimated that the original inspiration for this bust was a lost Greek bronze dating back to around 200 BC. Today, the Pseudo-Seneca statue is carefully preserved at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples.