Septicius clarus, prefect of the praetorian guard, his lives of the caesars. Ausonius, on the twelve caesars whose lives were written. The twelve caesars is probably the most in depth book ever written about the personal lives of the twelve caesars. 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.
An essential primary source on roman history, suetonius the twelve caesars is a fascinating achievement of scholarship covering a critical period in the empire. For in the most frequented part of the town, there was, not long since, a street named the octavian. From the twelve caesars by gaius suetonius tranquillus translated by robert graves 1965 the octavians, by all accounts, were famous in ancient velitrae. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The lives of the twelve caesars is a work of biography, and its strength is the expounding upon human character, rather than history. Suetonius the twelve caesars followed an established convention of the short biographical essay, which lent itself to convivial sharing before an audience but could also be used to explore important themes. The lives of the twelve caesars by gaius suetonius. 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. A single verse here records each of those emperors of whom. The twelve caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over rome, from the. Some expressed the view that even the memory of the caesars should be erased and their temples obliterated.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 363 pages and is available in paperback format. Booktopia has the twelve caesars, penguin classics by suetonius. The twelve caesars by suetonius penguin books australia. Suetonius tranquillus, the lives of the caesars, suetonius.
He always led his army, more often on foot than in the saddle, went bareheaded in sun and rain alike, and could travel for long distances at incredible speed. The twelve caesars penguin classics 9780140440720 by suetonius and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books. Book iii tiberius a new freely downloadable translation. The twelve caesars, probably written in hadrians time, is a collective biography of the roman empires first leaders, julius caesar the first few chapters are missing, augustus, tiberius, caligula, claudius, nero, galba, otho, vitellius, vespasian, titus and domitian. This penguin classic of the twelve caesars by suetonius is the perfect place to start for anybody interested in ancient grecoroman history and culture. History of the twelve caesars by suetonius librarything. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The twelve caesars by gaius suetonius tranquillus, translated by robert graves 1965.
Afterwards deified from the twelve caesars by gaius suetonius tranquillus translated by robert graves 1965 the octavians, by all accounts, were famous in ancient velitrae. The biographies are not wholly flattering nor are events told in chronological sequence but they reveal some candid details of romes first citizens. 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. Over the last couple of days, i read the twelve caeasars cf. Specifically suetonius relates how each of these successive emperors of the roman empire dealt with the office of supreme power.
Topics generalities publisher modern library new york collection universallibrary contributor braou language english. Download pdf the twelve caesars penguin classics free. It is a gossipy chronicle with a fascinating perspective on the lives of the first twelve roman caesars that significantly intersects with second temple judaism and the birth and spread of christianity. Suetonius s the twelve caesars is also available in penguin classics. The twelve caesars by suetonius, 1957 online research. The twelve caesars by suetonius translated by robert graves.
This masterpiece of observation, immortalized in robert gravess classic. Suetonius goes to great lengths to reveal the way these men really were, as human beings. Suetonius the twelve caesars home essay suetonius the twelve caesars title. This book, though old, is still very interesting and informative today. That the family of the octavii was of the first distinction in velitrae, 1 is rendered evident by many circumstances. Nov 10, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. After the dismissal of both men for some breach of court etiquette, suetonius. Dec 18, 2007 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. Apparently news of an attack by a neighbouring city. The work was written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, while suetonius was hadrians personal secretary. But his history is also the most vivid and raciest account we.
To which are added, his lives of the grammarians, rhetoricians, and poets. Lives of the twelve caesars 2 basis of the present. The twelve caesars is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire. Gaius suetonius tranquillus, commonly known as suetonius c. Suetonius tranquillus, the lives of the caesars alexander thomson, ed. Pdf the twelve caesars book by suetonius free download. The work was written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, while suetonius. Buy the twelve caesars penguin classics book online at best prices in india on. The main characters of this history, classics story are nero, caligula.
The twelve caesars book xiv ausonius on the twelve caesars whose lives were written by suetonius tranquillus in single verses i. Here take the twice six caesars into whose sovereignty the sway of rome passed long ago, leaving the consuls second in authority. Oct 25, 2007 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. He served as quaestor in 7ad five years before the legal age and became consul in 12ad without holding the intermediate offices. The twelve caesars served as a model for the biographies of 2nd and early 3rdcentury emperors compiled by marius maximus. He informs us in his preface, that a version of suetonius was with him only a secondary object, his principal design being to form a just estimate of roman literature, and to elucidate the state of government, and the manners of the times. Caligulas father, germanicus, who was the son of drusus the elder and antonia the younger, was adopted in 4ad by germanicuss paternal uncle,tiberius. The twelve ceasars of suetonius born ad 69, covering the roman rulers from julius caesar to domitian, remains one of the richest and most fascinating of all latin histories. Oct 25, 2007 buy the twelve caesars penguin classics rev. 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.
Mar 22, 2010 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. Julius caesar, the divine 3, lost his father 4 when he was in the sixteenth year of his age 5. The lives of the twelve caesars, complete by suetonius. The plan adopted by suetonius in his lives of the twelve caesars, led him to be more diffuse on their personal conduct and habits than on public events. The first edition of the novel was published in 119, and was written by suetonius. Ad 110 caesar was a most skillful swordsman and horseman, and showed surprising powers of endurance. The twelve caesars julius caesar, augustus, tiberius, caligula, claudius, nero, galba, otho, vitellius, vespasian, titus, and domitiancreated an empire which dominated the then known world and influenced it for a millennium. The lives of twelve caesars gaius suetonius tranquillus. 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. Jan 21, 2008 an essential primary source on roman history, suetonius the twelve caesars is a fascinating achievement of scholarship covering a critical period in the empire. I marked up my print copy while listening to a hour audio book.
The twelve caesars is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first eleven emperors of the roman empire. 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. In modern day politics, fidelity is considered a very important attribute. Not much is known about the life of gaius suetonius tranquillus. Topics generalities publisher modern library new york collection universallibrary. 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. The twelve caesarsjulius caesar, augustus, tiberius, caligula, claudius, nero, galba, otho, vitellius, vespasian, titus, and domitiancreated an empire which dominated the then known world and influenced it for a millennium. 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. Buy the twelve caesars penguin classics book online at low. The patrician branch of the claudians there being a plebeian branch too, no less influential and distinguished was originally from regillum, a sabine town. Suetonius, who lived through a period of stable but despotic imperial rule, wanted to explore. 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 and civil war under nero and the recovery that came with his successors.
On the life of the caesars concentrates on the acts and personalities of the julioclaudians and their. As private secretary to the emperor hadrian, the scholar suetonius had access. Together with tacitus annals, this work is a major source for the historical details in robert graves novels i claudius and claudius the god. Suetonius, who lived through a period of stable but despotic imperial rule, wanted to explore the nature of imperial power and how a. Publication date 19570630 publisher penguin classics collection.
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. Free download or read online the twelve caesars pdf epub book. The lives of the twelve caesars concentrates on the acts and personalities of the julioclaudians and their immediate successors. An octavian street runs through the busiest part of the city, and an altar is shown there consecrated by one octavius, a local commander. By suetonius tranquillus rita mae brown, author of rubyfruit jungle and several mystery series, first read suetonius lives of the caesars in college. Not only is this a most engaging translation by robert graves, author of i claudius, but there is a. Each emperor is dissected, and his actions beyond politics and professionalism revealed. 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 and civil war under nero.
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