Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors with Caillan Davenport

Rumours whispered in the forum, graffiti scrawled on walls, and scandalous tales passed between senator and citizen - the Roman emperor was as much a manifestation of gossip as of power. But how far can we trust these tales, and what do they reveal about the imperial system itself? Joining Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠, on the podcast today is Caillan Davenport, professor and historian, whose study, Behind Caesar’s Back, offers a bold, fresh approach to imperial Rome. Moving beyond traditional biographies, his sweeping study reconstructs the “oral world” of the Roman Empire, sharing insight into political talk, public opinion and the delicate relationship between ruler and ruled. Episode Links Behind Caesar's Back: Rumor, Gossip, and the Making of the Roman Emperors Caillan Davenport Links Caillan ⁠online⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠ Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices