Mary Beard’s new book, Emperor of Rome, takes us beyond the politics of power and succession and into the palace corridors to shine an intimate spotlight on the rulers of the Roman empire. From Julius Caesar to Alexander Severus, she examines the facts and fictions about these rulers, asking what they did and why, and how we have got such a lurid view of them. What power did emperors actually have? How did they face their subjects? And was the Roman palace really so bloodstained?

From the day-to-day practicalities of the emperors’ lives to stories of corruption and conspiracy, Beard reveals some of the best kept secrets of the Roman world. She was in conversation with Charlotte Higgins, the Guardian’s chief culture writer.

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