Suetonius Volume II

The Lives of the Twelve Caesars #5-13

by Suetonius, John Carew Rolfe (Translator)

Suetonius (C. Suetonius Tranquillus, born ca. 70 CE), son of a military tribune, was at first an advocate and a teacher of rhetoric, but later became the emperor Hadrian's private secretary, 119-121. He dedicated to C. Septicius Clarus, prefect of the praetorian guard, his Lives of the Caesars. After the dismissal of both men for some breach of court etiquette, Suetonius apparently retired and probably continued his writing. His other works, many known by title, are now lost except for part of the Lives of Illustrious Men (of letters).

Friend of Pliny the Younger, Suetonius was a studious and careful collector of facts, so that the extant lives of the emperors (including Julius Caesar the dictator) to Domitian are invaluable. His plan in Lives of the Caesars is: the emperor's family and early years; public and private life; death. We find many anecdotes, much gossip of the imperial court, and various details of character and personal appearance. Suetonius's account of Nero's death is justly famous.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Suetonius is in two volumes.

This second volume covers Lives of the Caesars from Claudius to Domitian and sketches from the Lives of Illustrious Men.

Genres: History, Classics, Nonfiction, Ancient, Roman History

507 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 120

About the author

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius (ca. 69/75 - after 130), was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies of twelve successive Roman rulers, from Julius Caesar until Domitian, entitled De Vita Caesarum. Other works by Suetonius concern the daily life of Rome, politics, oratory, and the lives of famous writers, including poets, historians, and grammarians. A few of these books have partially survived, but many are entirely lost.

Reviews

[Johannes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a weird book. I really don't trust its author, the wonderful Suetonius. I strongly suspect him of mocking my attentions as a reader and even of deliberately withholding information, just for the fun of it. He is no historian, the great Ronald Syme doesn't like him much and tells us, with a frown, that he decided e.g. to ignore Tacitus' "Historiae". But what a kind of "decision" was this? - There were also those who supposed that Suetonius got bored with his theme. Got bored, my left foot, who will believe this now, in the age of the suspicious reader? Is Suetonius perhaps making fun of us all? Mightn't he be a great novelist, un peu avant la lettre?

[Birgitta Hoffmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not only a good translation of the later Lives of the Caesars, but also of the Lives of the Poets, Grammarians and Rhetoricians. BTW: Suetonius' Life of Horace makes an interesting introduction to translation exercises on Horace, lots of little tidbits about Horace's relationship with Augustus' court.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the Caesars of the early empire lived off of the empire's investments, these later versions lived off of the capital.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite salacious at times. Very enjoyable! (except for the not inconsiderable discussions of tax law....)