Behind Caesar's Back
Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Published:27th Jan '26
Should be back in stock very soon
A thrilling exploration of what Romans thought about their emperors, and how rumors and gossip—ranging from new taxes to rulers’ sex lives—shaped leadership
Traversing more than seven hundred years of Roman history, this book explores how everyday Romans swapped gossip, spread rumors, told jokes, and chanted protests about their emperors—activity that amounted to much more than idle chatter. Caillan Davenport uses ancient evidence, including letters, graffiti, and songs, to reveal how Romans engaged in politics outside the senate house or imperial council. He argues that the idea of the Roman emperor was shaped not only by the political powers granted to him but also by the debate taking place in the streets, churches, taverns, and markets.
Davenport reveals how Romans spoke about “the emperor” as a figure of stability, as an agent of justice and retribution, or as a fallible human. Although few would ever see an emperor, his face (and therefore his power) was everywhere: on coins, banners, standards, and even dessert molds, as well as in statuary and paintings. While most Romans did not question the transformation of their republic into a monarchical system of government, they were indeed invested in the empire and were in constant discussion about the type of ruler they had, wanted, and deserved.
“Illuminating. . . . Caillan Davenport relies on letters, graffiti, songs, and other ancient evidence to construct an invaluable glimpse into how the Romans imagined their Caesars separate from the coins and banners that bore their likenesses.”—Jim Kelly, Air Mail
“This first-of-its-kind book sets back into motion the rumor mills and gossip circles that fed a fifty-million-person imperial audience hungry for news from an autocracy deliciously incapable of controlling the spread of information about itself—long before the rise of social media.”—Noel Lenski, author of Constantine and the Cities: Imperial Authority and Civic Politics
“Caillan Davenport gives us a new history of the emperors—told not from the palace, but through the voices of their subjects. Wide-ranging and authoritative, it is essential reading for anyone interested in Roman imperial power.”—Kathryn Tempest, author of Brutus: The Noble Conspirator
“Behind Caesar’s Back is a tour through Roman imperial history on the wings of rumor and gossip. At once juicy and profound, Davenport’s book makes a compelling case that the constant and ubiquitous conversation about the emperor offers a royal road to understanding the power dynamics of imperial rule.”—Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire
“Forever walking the tightrope between enlightened despot and tyrant, the Roman emperors were a precarious manifestation of monarchy in the ancient world. Davenport’s fascinating book assesses how the emperor was perceived by those he ruled.”—Guy de la Bédoyère, author of Gladius: The World of the Roman Soldier and Populus: Living and Dying in Ancient Rome
ISBN: 9780300276459
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
392 pages