Against a background of today's "sculpture wars," the author of the National Book Critics Circle Award finalist SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome tells the story of how for more than two millennia, portraits of the rich, powerful, and famous have been shaped by the image of Roman emperors, from the ruthless Julius Caesar to the fly-torturing Domitian. Illustrated throughout, Mary Beard's witty and thought-provoking survey is a tour of art history, politics, and culture wars.

"Beard, as always, asks important questions…. A lively treatise on Roman art and power, deliciously opinionated and beautifully illustrated."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)