You’ve probably had this weird feeling before: an odd personal connection to some celebrity that you’ve never even met before. Maybe it was a feeling of friendship towards this person, or maybe it was even a feeling of love instead.

Parasocial relationships—where we feel a strong bond with someone who doesn’t know we exist—are all around us. You may not have thought so, but these sorts of relationships have been happening throughout time, so much so that modern-day parasocial relationships can even be seen as analogous to those in ancient history.

For example, Julius Caesar: History’s Most Famous Superstar. When thinking about Julius Caesar’s popularity, picture a famous celebrity today and multiply that by ten. That’s how popular he was in his time. If you were to walk around in Rome, his face would literally be in every corner. You could see him on coins, statues, or practically anything. With his face being plastered on everything in Rome, people who hadn’t even met him or seen him in person felt like they did just through his public image. Sound familiar? Just like we might follow every detail of a celebrity’s life on Instagram, Romans followed Caesar’s every move and celebrated his victories as if they were their own. 

While you can say, “Oh, but Caesar was like the biggest political figure of that time, of course, people are going to feel connected to him,” this kind of relationship was not mutually exclusive to leaders. Look at Homer, for example. If you were in high school and had to read The Odyssey and thought that it was the lamest book you’ve ever read, you would probably get your head bashed in by pretty much anyone in ancient Greece. His tales were massive and practically created some of the first “fan-favorite” characters in history. Even if you didn’t know who Homer was, you know his characters, including his most famous ones, Hercules and Achilles. And since you know about these figures written over 2000 years ago, just imagine how popular they were in their time. Though they were fictional people back then, many felt a personal connection to these people, almost like they were real-life legends. These mythical figures were like the Iron Man or Batman of their time—people saw them as more than just entertainment; they were heroes to be admired, flaws and all. Just as people today look up to musicians, actors, and influencers, ancient Greeks invested in the lives of these mythic heroes.

Now that we know some of the ancient celebrities, let’s look at some of the modern ones.

The first person I think of when I think of celebrity parasocial relationships or even worship is Taylor Swift. She has a “cult following,” and the number of people who are obsessed with her is astounding. Her fans, Swifties, are everywhere, and any badmouthing of her will lead to all of them deciding that you need to be blown off the face of the planet. Some colleges even offer classes dedicated to studying Taylor Swift and her career, which is appalling to many people. With all this in mind, fans of Taylor Swift feel so emotionally connected to her that, at some points, it looks like a form of worship from outside perspectives, akin to that of the Romans and Julius Caesar. 

On a more moderate scale, other celebrities are popular enough to the point where they can start certain trends that attempt to mimic that celebrity. Some things that may come to mind when you think of celebrity trends could be Tom Cruise’s aviator glasses and Jennifer Aniston’s haircut in the 90s when Friends was airing. During their respective eras, these trends were all the craze. By following these trends, people didn’t just want to dress up like these celebrities—they wanted to be them.

So why do we form these parasocial relationships, whether it’s with ancient heroes or modern-day pop stars? When seeing these celebrities in the art they produce, whether it is music or cinema, it is difficult to not form a bond. Whether it was the bravery of Achilles or the confidence of Taylor Swift, people subconsciously formed a one-sided connection that even if it wasn’t real to the celebrity or the idol they follow, it was real to them.

In the end, parasocial relationships are timeless. Whether it’s Julius Caesar ruling Rome, Achilles slaying enemies, or Taylor Swift belting out heartbreak anthems, people have always held these celebrities close to their hearts and idolized them—even if they don’t know we exist.

However, some questions can be raised since parasocial relationships have shown such continuity over time. Should we hold celebrities to a higher standard of accountability, knowing they have an audience? Should it be a moral responsibility for celebrities to act altruistically, knowing that their reputation and legacy influence the masses? Just some food for thought.