The Twelve Caesars (MP3 CD) [Unabridged] [MP3 CD]

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (Author), Charlton Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

1 MP3-CD, Unabridged, With Music and Sound Effects, Running Time: 13 hours 39 minutes

"The Twelve Caesars"
From the dignified grace of Augustus to the cruel debauchery of Nero, this history chronicles all the vices and virtues of the first twelve rulers of Imperial Rome. "The Twelve Caesars" was written based on the information of eyewitnesses and public records. It conveys a very accurate picture of court life in Rome and contains some of the raciest and most salacious material to be found in all of ancient literature. The writing is clear, simple and easy to understand, and the numerous anecdotes of juicy scandal, bitter court intrigue and murderous brigandage easily hold their own against the most spirited content of today's tabloids. The biographies and periods of reign are: Julius Caesar (dictatorship: 46 B.C. – 44 B.C.), Augustus (31 B.C. – A.D. 14), Tiberius (14 – 37), Caligula (37 – 41), Claudius (41 – 54), Nero (54 – 68), Otho (68 – 69), Galba (69), Vitellius (69), Vespasian (69 – 79), Titus (79 – 81) and Domitian (87 – 96). Like no other work before or since, "The Twelve Caesars" has continued to shock, titillate and entertain audiences for 2,000 years.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (circa A.D. 69 – circa 140) was the son of a Roman knight, a military tribune attached to the 13th Legion. Not much is known about Suetonius. He was a friend of Pliny the Younger and accompanied him to Bithynia when Pliny was governor there. Pliny recommended his services to the Emperor Trajan. He practiced law for a time, though shunning politics, and managed to obtain an important position as chief secretary to Trajan's heir, Hadrian. Much of the material Suetonius utilized was a result of his access to court records and private correspondence. Sometime during the Emperor Hadrian's reign, (A.D. 117 – 138), he and a group of officials were dismissed for improper court etiquette in the presence of the Empress Sabina while the Emperor was absent in Britain. Suetonius was the author of many historical and social works, however, except for "The Twelve Caesars", none have survived beyond fragments of one of his other books, the "Lives of Illustrious Romans."

Charlton Griffin is one of the great readers of our time. His classical theatre training combined with his wonderful, incisive interpretations of great literature make him a unique talent. Mr. Griffin's vocal performance is vibrant, soothing, compelling, and hypnotic. Among other honors, he has twice received the Audie Award for Classic Fiction.

Product Details

• MP3 CD
• Publisher: Audio Connoisseur; Unabridged edition (January 2004)
• ISBN-10: 192971839X
• ISBN-13: 978-1929718399
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,846,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History is stranger than fiction, February 28, 2008

By 

Jeffrey Van Wagoner (Gilbert, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Twelve Caesars (MP3 CD) (MP3 CD)

Suetonius, the author, was a contemporary of many of the Roman emperors that he wrote about. It starts from Augustus and goes through the life of Domitian. This is the history that the book and BBC series, I, Claudius, is based on.

This history gives us almost the only glances we have of Caligula, and goes into sordid detail on the corrupt lives of most of these emperors. Most of these men did not die by natural means, and the author brings up known facts where he has them, but many times talks of then current rumors explaining the lives and deaths of these men. Suetonius would not be considered a good historian by today's standards, but more of a good tabloid reporter. Still, this is the best information we have of many of these men today.

One thing that fascinated me was the amount of superstition that was around during that time. We are told of the signs signaling the fall or rise of the Caesars. Almost any natural occurrence was considered a good or bad omen, and Suetonius is sure to tell about all of them.

This was a very fun book and I not only learned more about these 12 men, but also about how the people thought back then. The reader, Charlton Griffin, was excellent and had a very appropriate voice for this history. The translation is that of Robert Graves and I thought it was excellent. I highly recommend this audio book.