2,000-year-old book enters bestseller list

Translated from the Latin by Tom Holland, the book has attracted a great deal of attention, including thanks to the influence of The Rest Is History podcast. It has become the first Penguin Classics book to enter the Sunday Times hardcover non-fiction bestseller list.

The book recounts the lives of the first 11 Roman Emperors, starting with Julius Caesar. According to Holland, what makes Suetonius' work so popular is that the scandalous stories and psychological analyses of Rome are still relevant today.

Ancient Rome has always been a huge focus, especially in the Western world. Holland says that's largely because of Rome's influence on modern power structures. The U.S. republic model was inspired by Rome, and throughout history there have always been concerns that this system could one day turn into an autocracy.

Interest in Rome in popular culture has been revived recently by the internet phenomenon of “How often do men think about the Roman Empire?” Such discussions are thought to have had an impact on the book’s success.

Holland describes Suetonius’ work as “the gossip column of ancient Rome,” detailing the sensational stories of history’s most powerful emperors.

Stuart Proffitt, Publishing Director of Penguin Press, said that if the book had been on a bestseller list in the second century, it would have been there, and Holland believes that the book's sales growth is due to a combination of podcasts and interest in Suetonius.

Penguin Classics is a special series of the world-famous Penguin Books publishing classic works. It includes works considered important in fields such as literature, philosophy, history and science, from ancient to modern literature.