Master of Rome: A Life of Julius Caesar

by David Stone Potter

By any measure, Julius Caesar is one of the most significant and well-known figures in ancient Roman history. Self-identified as a "popular" politician, he advocated for effective government to better the lives of the average Roman; however, he believed this government could not be based upon the existing democracy, which he regarded as corrupt and inefficient. It could only be through his personal management and the massive organization he built to overthrow the government that he could ensure the prosperity of all Romans.

Through a careful analysis of the ancient sources, including Caesar's own writings, David Potter offers us a stunning and original portrait of the general and statesman's character and methods. He shows Caesar as a highly organized manager with an extraordinary ability to adjust to circumstances while maintaining a steady equivalent of an ancient media presence that attracted favorable attention. After his death, Caesar's followers put forward a narrative of his life that made his rise to power seem inevitable, but Caesar's own writing tells us a different story--one of a detail-oriented general who demanded a high degree of accountability from his subordinates. A critical aspect of Caesar's philosophy of command was the need to find room for former enemies to serve in his organization. He believed that effective conquest wasn't possible unless former enemies felt it was in their interest to work for rather than against him. While this philosophy catapulted Caesar to great fame and esteem as a general during the wars in Gaul, when he attempted to put this method into effect in the wake of the civil war that established him as the master of Rome, it led to his brutal and infamous assassination in 44 BCE.

Master of Rome tells a dramatic story about one of history's most intriguing figures who rose from the fringes of Roman political society and the qualities that enabled him to dominate the world in which he lived.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

400 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2025

About the author

David Potter is the author of Constantine the Emperor and The Victor’s Crown: A History of Ancient Sport from Homer to Byzantium. He is the Francis W. Kelsey Collegiate Professor of Greek and Roman History and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan.

Reviews

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Italian here: we grow up learning about Julius Ceasar and we cannot help facing his shadows as I grew up in Gallia Cisalpina and Julius Ceasar made my ancestors Roman citizens.
We also had to translate in Italian parts of De Bello Gallico.
That said I was really interested in this book about one of most intriguing historical person. I think I don't agree that some of the political parts (not in this review because I don't want to write an essay) but it's a well researched and interesting book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Tom O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked most about Master of Rome was the way it covers Caesar’s climb through the Roman political system, especially the vivid description of his consulship and reforms. It shows the maneuvering behind the battles and gives a strong sense of how he built his power.