The ancient Roman Empire was the ultimate arena, where emperors had no choice but to fight, thrill, and dazzle. Ruling as Caesar was like standing as an actor on the world's great stage. No biography invites us into the lives of the Caesars more vividly or intimately than that by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, written from the heart of Rome and power, in the early 2nd century AD. By placing each Caesar in the context of the generations that preceded him, and linking personality to politics, Suetonius succeeded in painting Rome's definitive portraits of power. The emperors' flaws, foreign policy crises, and sexual scandals are exposed; we see their tastes, foibles, and eccentricities; we sit at their tables and enter their bedrooms. The result is perhaps the most moving series of biographies ever written. The fact that Rome lives more vividly in people's imaginations than any other ancient empire owes a great deal to Suetonius. And now award-winning author and translator Tom Holland brings us even closer in a captivating new translation. "Lives of the Caesars" offers a deeper understanding of the personal lives of Rome's first emperors and how they influenced the destinies of millions. It is a stunning and immersive experience of a time and culture that is both familiar and completely alien to our own.