The “strongman” is the political boogeyman of our time. With the rise of figures like Xi, Duterte, Modi, Bukele, and Putin in the 21st century, this boogeyman has taken centre stage in global politics. Ours is the age of the Caesar.

The central argument in Wilhelm Roscher’s Caesarism is the paradox of a ruler who governs monarchically but is legitimised democratically. Drawing on historical examples from Ancient Rome, Greece, and Carthage, as well as from figures like Cromwell and Napoleon, Roscher offers a measured assessment that neither glorifies nor damns Caesarism. As contemporary political discourse increasingly revisits strongman politics, Roscher’s treatment equips readers to discern the multifaceted legacies—both constructive and destructive—that Caesarism has left on the course of history. Caesarism stands as a phenomenon, bridging the ancient and modern.