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12 Caesars : The Twelve Caesars

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Not much is known about the life of Gaius Suetonius Tranquillis. He was probably born in A.D. 69--the famous 'year of four Emperors'--when his father, a Roman knight, served as a colonel in a regular legion and took part in the Battle of Baetricum.

Suetonius became a scribe and noted secretary to the military set, eventually ending up in the service of Hadrian, who was emperor from A.D. 117-138. He was dismissed for 'indiscreet behaviour' with Hadrian's empress, Sabina, but not before doing sufficient research to complete many books of a historical nature. His attempts at philosophy were much less well received, and most of his history has been overlooked by all but classical scholars, but this work, 'The Twelve Caesars' has held the imagination of more than just the scholarly set since it was first written.

Suetonius had the good fortune of speaking to eyewitnesses from the time of the early Caesars. Much of his information about Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero in fact comes from those who observed and/or participated in their lives. Suetonius is in many ways more of a reporter than an historian--he would record conflicting statements without worrying about the reconciliation (this set him apart from Tacitus and other classical historians who tried to find a consistency in stories and facts.

Suetonius has been described as the tabloid journalist of ancient Rome, because not only did he not appear to check facts (which in fact is not true--he did check, he just didn't try to smooth over the conflicting facts), but he choose to concentrate on the private lives, motivations and personality quirks of his subjects rather than their grand plans, policies and military/political victories. Thus, many details of the lurid scene appear. Suetonius, and this volume in particular, formed much of the basis for Robert Graves as he wrote 'I, Claudius' and 'Claudius the God', which in turn pulled up the popularity of Suetonius in this generation.

Suetonius had first hand knowledge of many of the Caesars who followed the Claudians, and ready access to the archives of the imperial family and the Senate, given his imperial posting.

This translation is not intended to be a faithful rendering of the language (which might well result in a stilted English construct) but rather a faithful account of the stories Suetonius tells. Graves has taken the liberty of changing monetary, date, and technical terms into standard English measurements of close kinship of meaning.

For the record, the twelve Caesars, about whom Suetonius writes, are:

+ Julius Caesar
+ Augustus
+ Tiberius
+ Gaius Caligula
+ Claudius
+ Nero
+ Galba
+ Otho
+ Vitellius
+ Vespasian
+ Titus
+ Domitian

Suetonius held nothing back in writing about the personal habits of the emperors and their families, nor did he hold back in his moral judgement of them. Of Tiberius, for instance, he wrote that Tiberius did so many other wicked deeds under the pretext of reforming public morals--but in reality to gratify his lust for seeing people suffer--that many satires were written against the evils of the day, incidentally expressing gloomy fears about the future.... At first Tiberius dismissed these verses as the work of bilious malcontents who were impatient with his reforms and did not really mean what they said. He would remark: 'Let them hate me, so long as they fear me!' But, as time went on, his conduct justified every line they had written.

Graves' edition of Suetonius is available under many covers, from hard-back study editions to Penguin paperbacks, including a wonderful, finely printed edition by the Folio Society. Take a step back into the seemier side of ancient Rome, the side most history courses overlook in favour of more traditional historical events, and hie thee to the bookstore for this work.

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.

So little is known today about the Caesars, that Suetonius' tell-all book about the Caesars is an absolute treasure for us to have now. Far from a dry, impartial observer, Suetonius errs on the side of playing the gossip - a choice which gives you even more insight into the culture of the Roman Empire than the text alone.

The book covers each of the twelve Caesars in order and focuses in on their backgroung before becoming Caesar, their route to becoming Caesar, their political/military/infrastructure accomplishments while Caesar, their personal habits, and finally their universally untimely deaths. (These guys all got killed pretty darn quickly by their "friends")

If it sounds like a dry topic, Suetonius over-emphasis on tabloid behaviors of the Caesars keeps it from ever getting close to dull. Highly recommended even for those who don't know the period.

Many people have called this book the original tabloid known to man. That is a good way to describe the way Twelve Caesars. We can't come to this piece of work expecting everything to be accurate and without bias. Many of the things were rumors that had spread concerning various Caesars and may not have been true. However, since it was accepted and not condemned, there is mostly likely a bit of truth to these rumors. They were consistent to the way that people saw them.

There seems to be a bit of a 'good ole days' approach to Julius Caesar and Augustus, but other primary sources back up a lot of what is written about them. Unfortunately, not a lot of primary sources like this exist so we are forced to discern the truth from the twisting or stretching of truth.

The reader may find the way that Seutonius writes difficult to follow. Obviously, it was written in a different time, so the rational historical narrative style that we would write it as today does not apply to Seutonius. Instead, he gives a family background to the various Caesars, followed by how they came to the throne, followed by the good things that they did, proceeded by the bad things they did, and wrapped up with how they died and the bad omens that preceeded their deaths. he does not seem to write chronologically as we would like him to, instead, lumped together things under different categories.

For those that have an interest in the various Caesars, it is a good read. Instead of rereading various sources that rely on Seutonius, we are able to read the primary source. But if you are looking for a 'set in stone', unbiased, straight forward history, you're not really going to get it here. Still a good, entertaining rule. If anything, it allows you to be thankful for the leadership we have today and that men such as Nero and Galba would not be allowed to rule in the US today.

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.

Suetonius, one of the great Roman historians, gives a detailed account of the lives and follies of twelve of the Roman Caesars. He goes not only into their political lives but their personal lives as well, looking at the faults and their sometimes humorous shortcomings. It is a very vivid and racy history, but that is what good history does, it exposes the innermost facets of the past, and like Suetonius, without being bias. This is an excellent book, not just for history students, but for any who would like a more personal and informative look at the men behind the deified personalities of Imperial Rome. Not only does it include the histories of the Caesars but also maps, genealogical tables, an index of names, and a helpful little key of names and places of the past and where the present day location is located. Overall this is a very good book that is well translated and very fun to read. It is both informative and amusing at the same time. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and am glad to see that a high school student has read and taken the time to give a review. Not many high school students get a chance to read, let alone such authors as Suetonius and the like. I hope others will continue to read and encourage others to do the same.

'Not much is known about the life of Gaius Suetonius Tranquillis. He was probably born in A.D. 69--the famous "year of four Emperors"--when his father, a Roman knight, served as a colonel in a regular legion and took part in the Battle of Baetricum.'

Suetonius became a scribe and noted secretary to the military set, eventually ending up in the service of Hadrian, who was emperor from A.D. 117-138. He was dismissed for 'indiscreet behaviour' with Hadrian's empress, Sabina, but not before doing sufficient research to complete many books of a historical nature. His attempts at philosophy were much less well received, and most of his history has been overlooked by all but classical scholars, but this work, 'The Twelve Caesars' has held the imagination of more than just the scholarly set since it was first written.

Suetonius had the good fortune of speaking to eyewitnesses from the time of the early Caesars. Much of his information about Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero in fact comes from those who observed and/or participated in their lives. Suetonius is in many ways more of a reporter than an historian--he would record conflicting statements without worrying about the reconciliation (this set him apart from Tacitus and other classical historians who tried to find a consistency in stories and facts.

Suetonius has been described as the tabloid journalist of ancient Rome, because not only did he not appear to check facts (which in fact is not true--he did check, he just didn't try to smooth over the conflicting facts), but he choose to concentrate on the private lives, motivations and personality quirks of his subjects rather than their grand plans, policies and military/political victories. Thus, many details of the lurid scene appear. Suetonius, and this volume in particular, formed much of the basis for Robert Graves' I, Claudius and Claudius the God, which in turn pulled up the popularity of Suetonius in this generation.

Suetonius had first hand knowledge of many of the Caesars who followed the Claudians, and ready access to the archives of the imperial family and the Senate, given his imperial posting.

This translation is not intended to be a faithful rendering of the language (which might well result in a stilted English construct) but rather a faithful account of the stories Suetonius tells. Graves has taken the liberty of changing monetary, date, and technical terms into standard English measurements of close kinship of meaning.

For the record, the twelve Caesars, about whom Suetonius writes, are:

+ Julius Caesar
+ Augustus
+ Tiberius
+ Gaius Caligula
+ Claudius
+ Nero
+ Galba
+ Otho
+ Vitellius
+ Vespasian
+ Titus
+ Domitian

Suetonius held nothing back in writing about the personal habits of the emperors and their families, nor did he hold back in his moral judgement of them. Of Tiberius, for instance, he wrote: 'Tiberius did so many other wicked deeds under the pretext of reforming public morals--but in reality to gratify his lust for seeing people suffer--that many satires were written against the evils of the day, incidentally expressing gloomy fears about the future.... At first Tiberius dismissed these verses as the work of bilious malcontents who were impatient with his reforms and did not really mean what they said. He would remark: "Let them hate me, so long as they fear me!" But, as time went on, his conduct justified every line they had written.'

Graves' edition of Suetonius is available under many covers, from hard-back study editions to Penguin paperbacks, including a wonderful, finely printed edition by the Folio Society. Take a step back into the seemier side of ancient Rome, the side most history courses overlook in favour of more traditional historical events, and hie thee to the bookstore for this work.

I agree with another reader in that it is unfortunate we don't have similar biographies of the later Roman emperors such as Hadrian, Trajan and Marcus Aurelius; but here in the book of twelve Caesars Suetonius captures at least some of the various emperor's characters including Julius Caesar, Augustus, Claudius and Vespasian as well as others up to and including Domitian, the last of the twelve. Some histories are quite detailed such as that of Augustus whereas the relatively short reigns of Otho, Galba and Vitellius are quite short by comparison. The interesting thing about this book is the way Suetonius writes about the emperors in the "warts and all" style letting the public know every detail of their, at times, dubious habits and cruelties. No one gets away scott-free not even Augustus. The account is very honest with little held back no matter how crude. The emperors' greatest weaknesses and strengths are laid bare. It is written in a less formal style to that of say Cassius Dio or even of Tacitus and as such is enjoyable by itself. It also brings to mind how similar the Empire was to the lifestyle of today especially when it comes to public servants and government officialdom and responsibility. It is obvious Roman law is carried over to modern versions very easily forming the backbone of later centuries. There are telltale differences such as the incredible power emperor's wielded, especially as regards their ability to execute or defame anyone at will. The collapse of Roman values becomes glaringly obvious as the emperors themselves no longer provide an adequate example to the people. Former titles and honours which meant something in earlier times are progressivley demeaned by emperors such as Nero or Domitian at their worst and upheld by Titus or Vespasian. Yet another excellent classic text in the Penguin range.

In addition to containing a great deal of factual information, "The Twelve Caesars" is a HILARIOUS read! This account of the lives of ancient Roman leaders comes with entertaining tales of sexual exploits and murderous rampages. All of the chapters are wonderful, but I enjoyed the stories about Caligula most of all. Also, I have several editions of this book, including a now out of print version that has wonderful illustrations on every page...if you can manage to find that edition, buy it right away!

Here is history with all the boring stuff left out. Suetonius, a historian around the time of Hadrian (117-138 C.E.), had access to many of the Imperial records, and apparently from them gleaned most of the incredibly juicy information regarding the 12 Caesars included here. Wars, campaigns, laws, affairs of state, and all the other matters one might expect to read about in a book of historical biographies was not the major concern of Suetonius. He was more interested in the personal (often dastardly) deeds of these rulers and the behaviors they exhibited, many of which were very unflattering, to say the least. Many of these guys - Claudius, Caligula, Nero, Vitellius - were veritable monsters: mass murder, theft of private property and national treasure, incest, patricide, ostentation and audacity, material devastation were routine to many of them. Suetonius almost revels in dishing the dirt. It's not just a list of one cruelty after another, either, for Suetonius also knows a funny story when he sees it: the time, for example, when Augustus expelled a man from Italy for giving him the finger. Is this the earliest account on record of that particular obscene gesture? If the National Inquirer existed back then Suetonius would be its editor-in-chief. Some of what he tells is exaggeration or hearsay and perhaps not extremely accurate, but he is often still considered the best source on the Caesars after Tacitus. The book is a lot of fun to read and I would think it would be required reading in most high schools, if for no other reason than it would get a lot of kids interested in ancient history in a hurry.