Customer Reviews

The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a collection of essays about the first twelve Roman rulers to bear the name Caesar. It is the definitive collection of eyewitness stories about the early emperors as they were seen by their contemporaries.

The rulers covered by this book include Julius Caesar; his adopted son Octavian who ruled as Augustus, and his descendents; the warlords who contended for power in the "Year of Four Caesars" after Nero was overthrown, and the Flavians who came out on top in that struggle.

In other words, the full list of twelve is:

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

If you want to understand the early Roman Empire, you need to read this book. If you are a budding novelist and want to write about the early Empire, you need to read this book. Reading Suetonius is not perhaps a sufficient condition to allow you to understand or write convincingly about the period, but it is a necessary condition.

Robert Graves, author of "I Claudius" and "Claudius the God" translated this version: not surprisingly many of the snippets of gossip and fascinating little stories from Suetonius find their way into his novels. They also find their way into every good novel about first century Rome that I have ever read, absolutely without exception.

You should not take for granted that every word of Suetonius's account is accurate. Reading carefully, you will see that where he heard two conflicting accounts of an issue or event he quotes both, usually without attempt to reconcile them. And a number of stories find their way into this account with, shall we say, less critical scrutiny than we would hope for today, though probably no less than you would expect from XXX - insert the name of a modern popular news medium you don't approve of here.)

For example, repeats uncritially the story that Nero set fire to the city of Rome, and then sang an aria as he watched the city burn. (This is story is often misquoted as Nero having fiddled while Rome burned - an impossibility since the violin had not been invented.)

Some modern historians have made a strong case that this was a clever libel spread by Nero's contemporary opponents. They argue that Nero was actually away from the city when the fire broke out, and hurried back to Rome to personally lead the fire-fighting efforts.

If they are right it does not cast doubt on Suetonius's integrity as a reporter of what was said about the emperor, because there is no dispute that the story of Nero singing while Rome burned was widely believed at the time. It was a perfect example of the old saying, "Si non e vero, e ben trovato" - if it's not true, it's well invented.

Aspects of the story certainly seem in character with many of Nero's other proclivities including his love of art, enormous vanity, and complete ruthlessness. However, the fact that it is reported as fact may illustrate that Suetonius does seem to have a propensity to repeat every snippet of gossip he heard about the early emperors, with rather less selectivity and critical judgement than other great ancient historians, such as Herodotus and Thucydides.

However, for this very reason, though perhaps he is a whisker behind Herodotus and Thucydides, or indeed Tacitus and Plutarch as a historian, Suetonius is far and away the most entertaining of the five.

The translation by Graves is very easy to read. This is one of the most important, fascinating, and informative works of ancient history which was ever written.

Mine is a much earlier edition of THE TWELVE CAESARS, but it's still Robert Graves translation of Suetonius' text, so it is what it is. Suetonius was apparently quite a prolific writer, with a wide variety of titles, from LIVES OF FAMOUS WHORES to METHODS OF RECKONING TIME to his credit. Outside of a few isolated fragments, however, THE TWELVE CAESARS is his only surviving work. It begins with Julius Caesar, who was Dictator but never Emperor in the true sense, continues through Nero, who was assassinated around the time of Suetonius' birth and was the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, and ends with Domitian, last Emperor of the Flavian dynasty. You also get lots of helpful items included, such as family trees of the imperial families and relevant maps. Altogether, this is a very nice book.

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was a Roman of the equestrian class, born around the year 69. Little is known of his life, but his friend, Pliny the Younger, tells us that he practised law briefly, avoided politics and eventually became chief secretary to the Emperor Hadrian. His prominent position in the palace would have been extremely helpful to his writings, providing him with ready access to imperial and senatorial archives and to people who had first-hand knowledge of the events Suetonius was writing about. He uses this material well by writing more than just a dry accounting of public events. Along with the major occurrences, we are also treated to the private lives of his subjects: personal anecdotes, scandalous details, and amusing incidents that only palace intimates would have known. Suetonius presents this material in an even-handed style, avoiding any obvious personal bias and freely admitting when he tells of something that he is unable to verify. These are lively biographies that read more like soap operas than official histories.

THE TWELVE CAESARS is a very readable and entertaining account of the lives of the first twelve Roman "Caesars". While it contains a wealth of valuable historical information, it is also very entertaining and quite suitable for the casual reader. Highly recommended for anybody with an interest in, or simple curiosity about, ancient Rome.

Don't be put off by the antiquity of this book, its a fascinating look at the tremendous heights of empirical glory and despotism that kicked off the Roman Empire. From the ravenously ambitious Julius to the brilliant government of Augustus to the mad and criminal excesses of Tiberius, Caligula and Nero, Suetonius brings the first 12 emperors to life in brilliant detail and color. This book is the perfect meeting of History Channel and tabloid, a must read for any history buff, or anyone who wants a taste of the fantastic world that was ancient Rome.

I had heard that Seutonius' usage of what were household names referring to prominent Roman citizens could be initially slightly discouraging for the casual reader - but they weren't. It is simply an epic read. Structured, to the point, at times gory, but gives great insight into the personalities of Julius Caesar and the following 11 emperors, and a glimpse into Roman life at the time. I couldn't put it down. It may be difficult to dissect Seutonius' own influence from the writing, but that just adds to the drama...

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.

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!

Tacitus is generally considered the greatest of the Roman historians, but Suetonius holds a special place in readers' hearts because "his history is the most vivid and the raciest account we have of the scandalous and amusing incidents in the domestic lives of the first Caesars." (That quote is from the book's back cover.) You can always count on Suetonius for salacious details, but he also provides fascinating little slices of everyday life which make the era come alive. For example, who knew that the reason why Julius Caesar wore a laurel wreath on all occasions was because he was self-conscious about his baldness? Who knew that raising the middle finger was considered an obscene gesture even in Augustus' time? From Suetonius, I have learned that the punishment for parricide was to be sewn up in a sack with a dog, a cock, a snake, and a monkey, and cast into a river. I have learned that the emperor Domitian spent hours alone every day doing nothing but catching flies and stabbing them with a needle-sharp pen. I have learned that Tiberius was a mythology nerd (like me!) who walked around quizzing people on the more obscure points of Greek mythos, rattling off questions like: "What song did the Sirens sing?" "Who was Hecuba's mother?" "What name did Achilles assume when he was disguised as a girl in the court of Lycomedes?"

Speaking of Tiberius, his biography and those of Caligula and Nero are probably the most compelling, mainly because these three were the biggest nutcases of all the Caesars. They offer an excellent example of what happens when you combine absolute power with extreme, albeit justified, paranoia. Tiberius is depicted as the worst of the sadist-pervert Roman emperors (with Caligula not far behind). During his reign, not a day passed without an execution, and he delighted in torture. Tiberius authorized terrible deeds - for example, "Tradition forbade the strangling of virgins; so, when little girls had been condemned to die in this way, the executioner began by violating them" - and after retiring to Capri, he completely gave himself over to debauchery and cruelty. As Suetonius gleefully reports: "Some aspects of his criminal obscenity are almost too vile to discuss, much less believe. Imagine training little boys, whom he called his `minnows,' to chase him while he went swimming and get between his legs to lick and nibble him. Or letting babies not yet weaned from their mother's breast suck at his breast or groin - such a filthy old man he had become!" (Let me assure you: you won't find details such as this in Tacitus.)

Gaius (Caligula) is portrayed as mentally ill and just as savage and debased as his predecessor, Tiberius. People who criticized his wild beast shows were sawn in half. He forced parents to attend their sons' executions. Suetonius notes that Caligula "frequently had trials by torture held in his presence while he was eating or otherwise enjoying himself." He watched one man "being flogged with chains for several days running, and had him killed only when the smell of suppurating brains became insupportable." Caligula spent ungodly amounts of money on pointless and impossible ventures. After less than a year in office, he had squandered the entire treasury with his extravagances. Pressed for cash, he began appropriating entire estates on the slightest pretext, "using wickedly ingenious methods of raising funds by false accusations." Fortunately, Caligula was murdered at the age of twenty-nine after ruling for less than four years.

The biography of Nero is possibly my favorite. He believed himself to be a talented singer and lyre-player, and held frequent (and endless) performances for the "benefit" of the Roman people. Suetonius tells us, "No one was allowed to leave the theatre during his recitals, however pressing the reason. We read of women in the audience giving birth, and of men being so bored with listening and applauding that they furtively dropped down from the wall at the rear, since the gates were kept barred, or shammed dead and were carried away for burial." After using public funds to build an enormous golden palace for himself - the pillared arcade ran for a whole mile; the entrance-hall was large enough to contain a 120-foot high statue of himself; the main dining room had a circular roof that revolved, day and night, in time with the sky - we are told that Nero condescended to remark: `Good, now I can at last begin to live like a human being!'" He was also a pervert on par with Tiberius and Caligula. Suetonius writes: "Nero practiced every kind of obscenity, and after defiling almost every part of his body finally invented a novel game: he was released from a cage dressed in the skins of wild animals, and attacked the private parts of men and women who stood bound to stakes." Nero eventually wound up being forced to kill himself to avoid being murdered. While hemming and hawing about whether or not to go through with the suicide, he was awash in self-pity and was overheard muttering to himself through his tears: "Dead! And so great an artist!"

Some of the other Caesars fare better in Seutonius' hands. We are told that all of Rome went into mourning after Titus' death. Although Claudius is described as cruel, bloodthirsty, and stupid, he could also be kind: he planned an edict to legitimize farting at the dinner table -- "either silently or noisily" -- after hearing about a man who was so modest that he endangered his health by an attempt to restrain himself. Vespasian, of all people (who?), comes across as the best emperor of the bunch. His only real vice was stinginess. Suetonius says that after Vespasian died, "the famous actor Favor, who wore Vespasian's funeral mask in the procession and gave the customary imitations of his gestures and words, shouted to the imperial agents `How much will all this cost?' `A hundred thousand,' they answered. `Then I'll take a thousand down, and you can just pitch me in the Tiber.'"

In short, Suetonius' "Twelve Caesars" is Roman history at its most entertaining. Believe it or not, Suetonius is also considered a very credible source. Five stars.

I purchased this book for a Greek and Roman history class. I have only started reading the section on Julius Caesar but I am enjoying it so far.

The modern-day National Enquirer is a magazine tabloid that focuses primarily on celebrities and prominent figures, and essentially operates as a rumor mill; gossip, stories, exaggerations, and even resorting to actively fabricating elements of the story.


Suetonius is not a reporter, but neither is he a liar out to make up juicy stories.


In The Twelve Caesars, Suetonius essentially puts together stories, and TELLS YOU which stories he heard, and their believability. HE ACTIVELY TELLS YOU THAT A CERTAIN STORY IS ALMOST ENTIRELY LIKELY TO BE FICTIONAL, AND TELLS YOU TO BE AWARE THAT IT IS, AND THAT HE ONLY INCLUDES IT HERE FOR THE SAKE OF LETTING YOU KNOW THAT IT IS POSSIBLY FICTIONAL, AS WELL AS FOR COMPLETIONIST'S SAKE.


Suetonius's accounts are quite riveting, and unlike Titus Livius or Herodotos, he doesn't lie or embellish his stories, except for when he points out that a story is likely fictional or exaggerated.


The greatest likelihood is that these stories were the sort being circulated around the Roman world which he copies down, and after warning us that it is unauthentifiable or likely fictional tells us, basically, "make of it what you will"

Suetonius' achievement is his brevity. He gives us the significant events in the rulership of each Caesar, some of their virtues and vices, and a few opinions. Plutarch is the better writer of style and narrative, but Suetonius suffices. The book is easy enough to read, and has a lot of anecdotes that are memorable.

His history makes Seneca's tragedies more realistic in the savage atrocities committed. The sacrifices of Astyanax and Polyxena in Seneca's The Trojan Women are believable. In light of Suetonius' history, I don't know that Seneca's tragedies had the shock value then that they have since. The use of ghosts are consistent between Suetonius and Seneca. Suetonius does not mythologize, except perhaps in stories of omens. If he reports legends or rumors, which is infrequent, he will usually say so.