Suetonius describes caesars gift at winning the loyalty and admiration of his soldiers. A masterpiece of observation, anecdote and detailed physical description, the twelve caesars presents us with a gallery of vividly drawnand all too humanindividuals. Combining as it does amusement and information, suetoniuss lives of the caesars was held in such estimation, that, so soon after the invention of printing as the year a. The twelve caesars, which was first published in penguin classics in 1957. This extract deals with an important event in the reign of the emperor tiberius. For in the most frequented part of the town, there was, not long since, a street named the octavian. Beginning with caesar himself, in the mid first century bc, it ends in ad 96 with domitian and covers the reigns of such emperors as tiberius, caligula, and nero. That the family of the octavii was of the first distinction in velitrae, 1 is rendered evident by many circumstances.
Suetonius seems to have lived to a good age and probably died around the year ad 140. As private secretary to the emperor hadrian, suetonius gained access to the imperial archives and used them along with carefully gathered eyewitness accounts to produce one of the most colourful biographical works in history. The ageing tiberius had taken up residence on the island of capri living in the hilltop villa iovis house of jove or jupiter, leaving the daytoday government of rome to his lieutenant, aelius sejanus. See more ideas about roman history, ancient rome and roman empire. Not much is known about the life of gaius suetonius tranquillus. Perhaps suetonius, like other biographers and historians, made mistakes. The twelve caesars by suetonius, 1957 online research. Small folio in sixes measures 8 by 11 inches, contemporary full limp vellum, ink manuscript title to. The twelve caesars served as a model for the biographies of 2nd and early 3rdcentury emperors compiled by marius maximus. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He became a close friend and client of the senator pliny the younger, who described him as quiet and studious, a man dedicated to writing, and a man of the. Historie of twelve caesars, emperours of rome first. Augustus, tiberius, gaius caligula, claudius, nero, galba, otho, vitelius, vespasian, titus, domitian.
Suetonius composed his material from a variety of sources, without much concern for their reliability. The twelve caesars by suetonius translated by robert graves. This study guide consists of approximately 35 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the twelve caesars. The twelve caesars is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire. Each emperor is dissected, and his actions beyond politics and professionalism revealed. In modern day politics, fidelity is considered a very important attribute. Suetonius tranquillus, and newly translated into english by philemon holland. Horace and lucan, the only extant book is the twelve caesars, one of the most fascinating and colorful of. Suetonius, in holding up a mirror to those caesars of diverting. Suetonius the twelve caesars world public library ebooks. The twelve caesars penguin classics by suetonius and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. History of the twelve caesars by suetonius librarything. Librivox recording of the lives of the twelve caesars by gaius suetonius tranquillus, translated by alexander thomson, m. As private secretary to the emperor hadrian, the scholar suetonius had.
Drusus the elder, claudius caesars father, who was first named decimus and later nero, was born in 38bc to livia, less than three months after she wedded augustus. An essential primary source on roman history, suetonius the twelve caesars is a fascinating achievement of scholarship covering a critical period in the empire. He trained as an orator the usual education for an aspiring politician and was an expert in rhetoric. He was an author in antiquity who had for his contemporaries pliny the younger and the historian plutarch. The twelve caesars by suetonius penguin books australia. Titus by suetonius indirect the twelve caesars, book 07. Not only is this a most engaging translation by robert graves, author of i claudius, but there is a short forward by classics scholar, michael grant. The twelve caesars, royal biographies, lives of famous whores, roman masters and customs, the roman year, roman. Coloring books for everyone new members save 20% off jigsaw. Her pregnancy at the time of the marriage led to suspicions that drusus was the result of his stepfathers adultery with her. This book, though old, is still very interesting and informative today. The lives of the twelve caesars by gaius suetonius.
The lives of the twelve caesars, complete by suetonius. The lives of the caesars include the biographies of julius caesar and the eleven subsequent emperors. The lives of the twelve caesars is a work of biography, and its strength is. The family moved to rome, with a large throng of dependants, either shortly after the foundation of the city in 753bc, at the instigation of titus tatius, who ruled jointly with. The twelve caesarsjulius caesar, augustus, tiberius, caligula. Suetonius the twelve caesars suetonius the twelve cesars if a friend asked me to tell him if it is worth it to read suetonius book the twelve cesars, i would say it is. As private secretary to the emperor hadrian, the scholar suetonius had access to. The project gutenberg ebook of the lives of the twelve caesars, complete by c. Suetonius twelve caesars is a key narrative source for the period it covers and, unlike tacitus, it has survived entire and is uninterrupted. Lives of the caesars suetonius oxford university press.
As private secretary to the emperor hadrian, the scholar suetonius had access. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. At some point, suetonius may have fallen out of favour, and his access restricted. If you enjoyed robert graves i, claudius and claudius the god, the penguin edition of suetonius the twelve caesars is a musthave in your collection. Esthetic and miscellaneous works, containing letters on christian art, essay on gothic architecture, remarks on the romance poetry of the middle ages, on shakspeare, the limits of the beautiful, and on the language and wisdom of the indians. The pages of suetonius will amply gratify this natural curiosity. This penguin classic of the twelve caesars by suetonius is the perfect place to start for anybody interested in ancient grecoroman history and culture. The work was written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, while suetonius was hadrians. The twelve caesars is probably the most in depth book ever written about the personal lives of the twelve caesars.
This penguin classics edition is translated from the latin by robert graves, author of i, claudius, revised with an introduction and notes by james b. Rita mae brown, author of rubyfruit jungle and several mystery series, first read suetonius lives of the caesars in college. Gaius suetonius tranquillus commonly known as suetonius was a roman historian who wrote. Graves wields a rich command of english vocabulary to capture the subtle nuances of suetonius original latin words. The twelve caesars harmondsworth, middlesex, england.
The twelve caesars by gaius suetonius tranquillus, translated by robert graves 1965. The twelve caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over rome, from the foundation of the empire under julius caesar and augustus to the decline into depravity under nero and the recovery that came with his successors. The twelve caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over rome, from the foundation of the empire under. Gaius suetonius tranquillus c75 c160 ad the twelve caesars is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire. The patrician branch of the claudians there being a plebeian branch too, no less influential and distinguished was originally from regillum, a sabine town. This masterpiece of observation, immortalized in robert gravess classic. To which are added, his lives of the grammarians, rhetoricians, and poets. Topics generalities publisher modern library new york collection universallibrary contributor braou language english. The work was written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, while suetonius was hadrians personal secretary. The twelve caesars by suetonius, robert graves waterstones. Suetonius goes to great lengths to reveal the way these men really were, as human beings. This collection, apparently entitled caesares, does not survive, but it was a source for a later biographical collection, known as historia augusta, which now forms a kind of sequel to suetonius work. Download pdf the twelve caesars penguin classics free.
The twelve caesars, probably written in hadrians time, is a collective. Buy the twelve caesars penguin classics book online at low. Publication date 19570630 publisher penguin classics collection. Suetonius tranquillus was the son of a roman knight who commanded a legion, on the side of otho, at the. Its hardly a staid latin history book in fact, its browns. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The twelve caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over rome. The twelve caesars penguin classics paperback 25 oct 2007. With a position close to the imperial court he was able to access otherwise private sources for his work, and he certainly did not hold back on revealing the sometimes sordid details of romes most famously debauched.
1451 1019 589 868 1104 269 29 235 814 445 673 1320 769 1353 863 1263 1021 1513 1402 1493 734 261 231 193 641 1131 1153 388 1506 249 779 543 1021 1398 945 1140 275 1189 709 391 1479 147 744 907 250