The personalities of the 12 Caesars of Ancient Rome (Julius Caesar and the 11 emperors who followed after him) have profoundly impressed themselves upon the world, largely because of Suetonius' biographies of them. Using contemporary documents, this book attempts to penetrate the fog of superstition and rumour that has gathered around these men. The author examines how these potentates wielded their power, how they coped, or failed in their task, and he considers the effects of their intensely demanding public careers on their private lives. He also questions the truth of the many stories which have suggested that the Caesars were consumed by erotic eccentricities.