The most interesting part of the Demidovs' collection, which came into the Hermitage in 1851, was the large 2nd-century sculptural portraits of emperors. Perhaps the most remarkable among them is the statue of Antoninus Pius found near Rome in 1825.The Emperor is depicted in a toga, the imperial dress in peace time. The scroll he holds in his hand must be one of the series of edicts that represented his peacemaking policy. It is a known fact that in 158, on the 25th anniversary of his accession, Antoninus Pius was accorded an important honour by the Senate --a statue was put up to him as a peacemaker who put an end to war. In ancient times the statue bore the proud inscription "Pacator orbis" - "Pacifier of the World".