The Twelve Caesars

by Suetonius, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, C. Suetonious Tranquillus, et al.

Book Overview

An essential primary source on Roman history and a fascinating achievement of scholarship covering a critical period in the Empire

As private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian, the scholar Suetonius had access to the imperial archives and used them (along with eyewitness accounts) to produce one of the most colourful biographical works in history. The Twelve Caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140455167
• ISBN13: 9780140455168
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

The Twelve Caesars

well translated-flowing English.Interesting division of facts about 12 Caesars-lineage-good deeds-bad deeds and perversions and augers of the man's life. I recommend it for someone who wants to know a first hand viewpoint of the Caesars-esp. those who have been misinformed about the great Augustus. I am no historian so I don't know where personal opinion and political pressure coloured the history but I enjoyed it.

Great Introduction for the novice

A fascinating read for those of us who need to fill in some gaps in our education. If I had more time for Ancient Rome I would follow up with the life of Augustus Ceasar in greater detail. This is a must book, interesting, never dull or dry, and sure to please everyone who has an interest in a great introduction to the twelve Caesars!

On Ancient Gossip

When you need a break from memorizing the dates of the Punic Wars, are bored speculating over what kind of salt the Romans used to sow Carthaginian fields, have given up on finding Philippi on any modern map, and can't quite recall the names of the dramatis personae during the year of the three emperors, this book will re-stimulate your interest in history by gratifying the natural human desire to learn more about crime in high places. Imagine, all the gravitas reeking Romans were up to treason, homicide, intrigue, incest, bestiality, gifting poison mushrooms and assorted produce, adultery, simple theft, complex theft, tax cheating, forgery, perjury, matricide, patricide, fratricide, suicide, sistercide, and murdering or marrying thier neices, and all sorts of stuff not normal entertainment at church family picnics nor encouraged at the office. A question does arise - was Suetonius accurate or fair? I think not; he is a delightful scandalmonger who makes no pretense at being fair and his sources undoubtedly included talk show hosts from the Forum's late night hour. Tiberius is for example portrayed as a monster; but he seemed to be a talented administrator himself or had the sense to hire those who were. Claudius while making very poor choices in wives and prone to some silly enthusiasms was very prudent in his foreign policy, by-and-large avoiding killling foreign folks who didn't enlist for suicide. Overall a great book; just take it with a pinch of Roman salt.

Stunning translation of a must-read classic

Who better to translate Suetonius' tabloidish classic than the man who made ancient Rome infamous in "I, Claudius", Robert Graves? The Roman emperors are the most decadent, devious, despicable parade of leaders ever, and the dozen sampled here are only the skin off the top - it's impossible to believe that this went on for centuries: the Emperor dies or gets murdered by someone, often his own guard or members of his family, and then someone else gets put in the prince's position to indulge in any kind of madness he pleases until he gets knocked off, too. Suetonius avidly portrays them all: arrogant, brilliant Julius Caesar; shady but charismatic Augustus; twisted old Tiberius; delightfully deranged Caligula; weak but crafty Claudius; and of course the slimy, monstrous Nero. That's only half the book, but even after the famous ones are through, Suetonius still draws compelling enough portraits of lesser-knowns like Galba and Otho to suck us all the way to the end. Graves transforms the master's ancient words into gripping English as if he were writing the whole thing himself (and sometimes it's hard to believe that he didn't, and maybe in a way he did; who needs any more translations of Suetonius after this one?). Anyone curious about the fabled debauchery and fiendishness of the ancient Roman world (like there's anyone who isn't?) should check this out, and then proceed to Graves' classic novels "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" for a more subtler, quirky, and perhaps even more entertaining approach to the subject.

Excellent accompaniment to "I, Claudius"

Suetonius provides a cogent illustration of the lives of twelve Roman emperors from Julius Caesar to Domitian by painting a vivid picture of the civic activities and licentious personal conduct of these twelve Caesars. An able biographer, Suetonius demonstrates his literary competence by authoring a text that both casual readers will find entertaining or students will find enlightening. If you're reading purely for historical quality, I suggest Livy or Tacitus. For amusing antecdotes that read more like a tabloid, "The Twelve Caesars" is worth checking out. No text better depicts the lunacy and moral incontinence of men such as Tiberius, Gaius (Caligula), and Nero. Caligula's declaration of war on Neptune and collection of seashells as bounty, Claudius's edict that flatulence was legally permissible at the supper table after learning that a citizen exploded from "holding it", and Nero's construction of a collapsible boat to kill his mother makes one wonder how Rome survived for another 400 years with men like this in control during the infancy of the empire. A "must read" for students and history buffs of Ancient Rome.