In ancient Egypt the god Horus was the divine representation of the living king, commonly shown as a man with the head of a falcon. Images of Horus in Roman military costume expressed the ancient Egyptian god’s power by using distinctively Roman symbols of authority. They also served to validate Roman political dominance by clothing the divine manifestation of the ancient Egyptian king in Roman costume. Here Horus wears an ancient Egyptian headdress and military dress worn by the Roman emperor.