Complex sentence: His official portraiture as sole emperor marks a break with the detached images of the philosopher--emperors who preceded him: his close-cropped haircut is that of a soldier, his pugnacious scowl a realistic and threatening presence.
Split into simpler sentences: His official portraiture as sole emperor marks a break with the detached images of the philosopher--emperors who preceded him. His close-cropped haircut is that of a soldier, his pugnacious scowl a realistic and threatening presence.