The annals of ancient Rome’s first emperors have been recounted countless times. However, in his new book, Palatine: An Alternative History of the Caesars, former editor of The Times Peter Stothard presents a fresh perspective. Stothard shifts the focus to the individuals who orbited around figures such as Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius – the courtiers, flatterers, slaves, former slaves, gluttons and party animals who formed their entourage. And on August 8 Stothard comes to Intelligence Squared to share his insights with fellow classicist Daisy Dunn.  

How did power really work in ancient Rome, both in public and behind closed doors? What was it like to be an emperor, in the bedroom and the dining room? And how much do we know about the people who surrounded the man at the top? Join us and hear the stories of power, intrigue and everyday life behind the doors of Rome’s emperors.

Praise for Peter Stothard’s  Palatine: An Alternative History of the Caesars

‘Stothard tells this story superbly.’ – Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times

‘Not so much an alternative history as an alternative epic, farce and satire rolled into one. Palatine is an absorbing saga of battles and banquets, as densely populated and richly depicted as Game of Thrones.’ – Rachel Cunliffe, The Times

‘Profound scholarship written with the verve and expertise of an accomplished novelist. On every page lapidary phrases evoke the reality of life in the ancient world … Wonderful, evocative stuff!’ — Harry Sidebottom, The Daily Telegraph