Caesar and Christ was published by Simon & Schuster in 1944 as the third volume of The Story of Civilization. The scope encompasses the entire arc of Roman civilization: the Etruscan foundations, the Republic, the Punic Wars, the civil wars, the Empire under Augustus and his successors, and the long decline that culminated in the fall of Rome in the fifth century. Woven through the political and military narrative is the story of Christianity — from its origins in Judaism through the life of Jesus, the missions of Paul, the persecutions, and the eventual triumph under Constantine.
The dual narrative — Caesar and Christ, political power and spiritual revolution — allowed Durant to explore one of the great questions of Western history: how a marginal Jewish sect in a remote province of the Roman Empire became the dominant religion of Western civilization.
Collecting Caesar and Christ
First edition (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1944): Cloth binding with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $75–$200
- Very good: $25–$60
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
Rome and Christianity
Caesar and Christ (1944) is Volume III of The Story of Civilization, covering the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, and the rise of Christianity. Durant’s sweep is enormous — from the Etruscan kings through the fall of Rome — and his treatment of Christianity’s emergence within the Roman world is balanced and sympathetic to both pagan and Christian perspectives. The volume includes some of Durant’s finest biographical writing, particularly his portraits of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Marcus Aurelius, and Jesus (whom Durant treats as a historical figure with respectful agnosticism).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Durant’s treatment of Christianity fair? Remarkably so for a writer who was not conventionally religious. Durant presents Christianity’s rise as both a historical phenomenon and a response to genuine spiritual needs that Roman paganism could not satisfy. He avoids both the militant atheist’s dismissal and the believer’s hagiography.