Caillan Davenport, "Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors" (Yale UP, 2026)

Feb 10, 2026

Caillan Davenport, Roman historian at the Australian National University and author of Behind Caesar's Back, explores how rumors and gossip shaped ideas of the Roman emperor. He traces sources like graffiti and songs. Conversations cover how talk traveled, spurred protests, framed imperial violence, and shaped succession anxieties and impostors.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Emperor As Idea, Not Just Person

Roman rumours reveal how people conceived of 'the emperor' as an institution, not just an individual.
Recurrent salacious stories reflect broader ideas about rulership, not unique facts about each ruler.

INSIGHT

Rumour Versus Gossip Defined

Davenport distinguishes rumours (sense-making) from gossip (evaluative character talk).
Rumours explain uncertain events, while gossip assesses character and social norms.

INSIGHT

Street Talk As Political Action

Talking about the emperor functioned as political communication outside formal institutions.
Street talk judged imperial laws, taxes, and religious decrees, shaping politics beyond the palace.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors (Yale UP, 2026), Professor Caillan Davenport presents 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. Professor 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.

Professor 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.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science