An ancient book about the lives of Roman emperors has reached the Sunday Times Hardback Non-Fiction Bestseller List, marking a rare literary achievement for a historical text.
“The Lives of the Caesars,” originally written in Latin by Roman historian Suetonius in the early second century, has been translated by historian and “The Rest Is History” podcast co-host Tom Holland. The book is the first nonfiction hardback classic from Penguin Classics to make the chart.
The collection of 12 biographies details the rule of Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman emperors, offering a mix of political insight, personal scandals, and psychological analysis. The book’s bestseller status highlights a renewed fascination with ancient Rome, which has seen a recent surge in renewed popular culture interest.
Renewed fascination with Rome
The book’s popularity follows a social media trend from 18 months ago when women began asking men how often they think about the Roman Empire, leading to viral discussions on its lasting influence. Holland attributes Rome’s enduring appeal to its deep cultural ties to the modern world.
Holland said Rome has “always” been the ancient civilization to which people in Britain and the West are most drawn. Britain was part of the Roman Empire, and the English alphabet comes from Latin. “We feel closer to the Romans, perhaps, than we do to the Egyptians or the Assyrians.”
He also pointed out that Rome shaped the modern understanding of power. The U.S. government was modeled after the Roman Republic, but Rome’s system eventually collapsed into one-man rule. This historical shift fuels ongoing debates about democracy and the risks of authoritarianism.
“Republican system was modelled on that of ancient Rome, but the [Roman] Republic ended up becoming an autocracy, and so in America, there’s always been this anxiety that a Republican system of government may end up an autocracy, and I guess that at the moment, that anxiety has a particular salience,” Holland said.
A timeless story of power and scandal
Suetonius wrote “The Lives of the Caesars”, commonly known as “The Twelve Caesars”, during Emperor Hadrian’s reign. Unlike traditional historical records, the book reads like an ancient gossip column, filled with scandalous details about the emperors’ personal lives and leadership styles.
“I think the reason that it’s always been popular is the fact that it is full of the most sensational gossip. It is kind of ancient Rome’s Popbitch. It is full of scandal and extraordinary detail, but it is also very psychologically astute,” Holland said. “It has the quality of a very highbrow gossip column.”
Publisher Stuart Proffitt of Penguin Press suggested Suetonius’ work would have topped bestseller lists had they existed in ancient Rome. Now, two millennia later, its translation is capturing the interest of modern readers.
Digital media has fueled the book’s rise in popularity. Holland’s podcast, The Rest Is History, released four episodes about Suetonius the same month it saw 17.5 million downloads. The show’s wide reach has likely helped introduce the book to a new audience.
Translating the past for the present
Holland described translating Suetonius’ work as similar to a marriage—an intimate process requiring time and patience.
“You spend a long time, a long period with someone who you think you’re going to enjoy the company of, so it’s always good to discover that actually you do,” he said.
Bringing the text into modern English requires linguistic accuracy and capturing Suetonius’s voice and storytelling style. The book’s bestseller status suggests that even after 2,000 years, history’s most powerful figures still fascinate modern audiences.