Podcast Summary: The Rest Is History — Julius Caesar with Mary Beard
Episode Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: Tom Holland & Mary Beard
Note: Timestamps are given in [MM:SS] format.

Overview of the Episode

This episode of The Rest Is History dives deep into the life, legacy, and mythos of Julius Caesar, Rome's most iconic figure. Joined by legendary classicist and historian Mary Beard, Tom Holland explores how Caesar's impact resonates through the ages—from ancient republican Rome to his influence over modern titles like "Czar" and popular cultural memory. The discussion places Caesar in a comparative context with other historical titans, notably Alexander the Great, and unpacks the world he was born into, the republic he helped transform, and his ongoing significance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Julius Caesar’s Enduring Influence

• Caesar’s Name & Legacy: The transformation of “Caesar” into royal and political titles like “Czar,” “Kaiser,” and even in British governmental parlance (“drug czar”).
  • Mary Beard: “Caesar has kind of branded his name onto modern politics and we still do that in the UK. We have a, you know, a drug czar.” [01:40]
  • Mary Beard: “Caesar would be a bit surprised… to discover the kind of slight domestication of czar.” [01:54]

Comparing Caesar and Alexander the Great

• Plutarch’s Pairs & Historical Titans: Both Caesar and Alexander occupy the highest ranks of legendary conquerors, compared directly by Plutarch.

  • Tom Holland: “Alexander rules by… he’s a king. Julius Caesar is a citizen of a republic.” [03:38]
  • Mary Beard: “Plutarch is on the same wavelength as us… thinking, right, who are the really big guys here?” [03:05]

• Sources and Historical Certainty: There’s far more contemporary evidence for Caesar than Alexander, including Caesar’s own commentaries, letters, and speeches.

  • Mary Beard: “The big contrast for me is we know something about Caesar… In Caesar’s case, we have autobiography… contemporary observers… so we’re on firmer ground here.” [04:07]

The Rome of Caesar’s Birth

• Rome Circa 100 BCE: The city was crowded, smelly, and made primarily of brick—not the marble grandeur of later times.

  • Mary Beard: “Rome is still in 100 BC, a city of brick and local stone. So it’s not grand, it’s smelly, it’s crowded…” [05:17]

• The Julians’ Status: An ancient patrician family living in a de-gentrified area called the Subara, reflecting Rome’s evolving social geography.

  • Tom Holland: “…the house of the Julians, ancient patrician family which traces its ancestry all the way back to Venus… they live in an area called the Subara, which over time has been de-gentrified…” [06:04]

Republican Rome: Structure and Contradictions

• Rome’s Political System: A republic deeply suspicious of monarchy, run by a competitive elite who rotated power often.

  • Mary Beard: “He’s brought up in a political structure which is built on a detestation of monarchy… and a commitment to power sharing and to no one amongst the traditional elite getting really above the others.” [07:03]
  • Mary Beard: “Calling it a democracy is misleading… The ordinary people… do have some power… but nobody is for any length of time becoming above the others.” [07:03–08:40]

• Magistracies and Elite Control: Offices (magistracies) alternated among a limited set of families; the people, though legally empowered, often elected familiar elites.

  • Tom Holland: “…the people… tend to like their magistrates… to come from families that they know.” [09:14]

Rome’s Growing Pains and Looming Crisis

• Empire vs. Republic: Rome’s vast territory was being governed with the outdated infrastructure of a city-state, creating immense pressures.

  • Mary Beard: “…the problem really of Rome at this point is that they’ve got… this vast territorial empire, but… are trying to run that empire on an infrastructure… suitable to a small city-state.” [09:30]

• Militarization & Civil Strife: Generals (like Caesar) began to command personal loyalty from legions, transforming them into private armies and fueling instability.

  • Tom Holland: “…legions… are starting to become private militias of generals… The competition in Roman political life is turning bloody and there's a civil war. When he’s… a young man and he actually ends up on the wrong side of that civil war.” [10:27]
  • Mary Beard: “Rome’s boiling and in the end it’s going to boil over, which is really… what it does with Caesar.” [10:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Caesar’s Unexpected Legacy:
  • Mary Beard: “Caesar would be a bit surprised, I think, to discover the kind of slight domestication of czar.” [01:54]
• On Plutarch’s Pairing of Giants:
  • Mary Beard: “Plutarch is on the same wavelength as us… right, who are the really big guys here? And we've just done Alexander, we're doing Caesar.” [03:05]
• On the Republic’s Struggles:
  • Mary Beard: “They are trying to run that empire on an infrastructure which was well suited to running a small city-state in 400 BC… but is woefully unsuited to really dealing with the issues and the problems that inevitably come with a large empire.” [09:30]
• On Rome’s Crowded Reality:
  • Mary Beard: “If you’d come to Rome in 100 BC and you’d been brought up in Alexandria… you would have thought this is a bit squalid.” [05:17]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:40] – Caesar’s name and modern political ‘czars’
• [03:00–04:30] – Plutarch’s comparison of Caesar and Alexander; historical evidence
• [05:17–06:57] – The city of Rome in 100 BC; The Julians’ social status
• [07:03–09:14] – The Republic’s structure, elite rivalry, people’s power
• [09:30–10:27] – The contradictions of an empire governed as a city-state
• [10:27–11:01] – The rise of private armies and boiling over into civil conflict

Conclusion

This episode offers a compelling, lively portrait of Julius Caesar, blending analysis, storytelling, and wit. Mary Beard and Tom Holland navigate Caesar’s historical context, mythic status, and his role in Rome’s transition from republic to empire, all while highlighting his relevance and the complexities of Roman society. The discussion leaves listeners with a nuanced, engaging view of an enduring icon.

Next Episode Teaser:
Mary and Tom will return with an exploration of gladiators, focusing particularly on the story of Spartacus.