That the family of the octavii was of the first distinction in velitrae 106, is rendered evident by many circumstances. Caesar also bribed a man titus labienus to bring a charge of high treason against gaius rabirius 63bc who had rendered a notable service to the senate by repressing the seditious activities of the tribune lucius appuleius saturninus in 100bc. Beginning with caesar himself, in the mid first century bc, it ends in ad 96 with domitian and covers the reigns of such emperors as tiberius, caligula, and nero. For many years robert graves penguin has reigned supreme, in cases where the latin is beyond reach, as the most accessible and almost the only way to sample suetonius biographies.
The twelve caesars by suetonius translated by robert graves. Suetonius chapter numbers are in brackets after mine book seven. The twelve caesars is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first eleven emperors of the roman empire. The book provides valuable information on the heritage, personal habits, physical appearance, lives, and political careers of the first roman emperors as it mentions details which other sources. Othos ancestors came from the old nobility of ferentium ferento, descended from princes of etruria. Jan 01, 2007 suetoniuss biographies of twelve roman emperors from julius caesar to domitian stands today as one of the primary sources of our information on these roman emperors, along with other great roman historians and biographers tacitus, plutarch, and the like.
Book i julius caesar a new freely downloadable translation. An english translation, linked to the original latin text. The lives of the twelve caesars online library of liberty. After the dismissal of both men for some breach of court etiquette, suetonius. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Suetonius brings the events in the emperors lives vividly to life with remarkable clarity.
A translation into english with indepth name index by a. His grandfather, marcus salvius otho, the son of a roman knight, and a woman of humble birth who may not even have been freeborn, owed his appointment as. For, said he, just as the temple erected in the forum to the twin brethren, bears only the name of castor, so the joint liberality of caesar and myself is credited to caesar. Rives has sensitively updated robert gravess now classic translation, reinstating latin terms and updating vocabulary while retaining the liveliness of the original.
The national endowment for the humanities provided support for entering this text. Suetonius also makes mention of neros persecution in 16. Enriched by anecdotes, gossip, and details of character and personal appearance, lives of the caesars by suetonius born c. The twelve caesars, often titled lives of the caesars in english, is a collection of 12 biographies covering julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire in historical order. The internet history sourcebooks project is located at the history department of fordham university. The work was written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, while. It covers the period between the end of the republic and the civil war, and the reign of the emperor vespasian. Of the sons, nero and drusus were accused by tiberius of being public enemies, and subsequently convicted of being so, by the senate. About the life of the caesars, commonly known as the twelve caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire written by gaius suetonius tranquillus. On the life of the caesars commonly known as the twelve caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire written by gaius suetonius tranquillus. Suetonius twelve caesars is a key narrative source for the period it covers and, unlike tacitus, it has survived entire and is uninterrupted.
Upon the accession of emperor hadrian 117, he entered the. The lives of the twelve caesars by gaius suetonius. Illustrated with busts and coins of the roman emperors. The work was written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, while suetonius was hadrians personal secretary. This volume provides the first largescale commentary on suetonius work in english, drawing out what is unique about suetonius information, discussing how it relates to. This was the age of the great caesars, beginning with julius, and includes caligula. Septicius clarus, prefect of the praetorian guard, his lives of the caesars. Suetoniuss biographies of twelve roman emperors from julius caesar to domitian stands today as one of the primary sources of our information on these roman emperors, along with other great roman historians and biographers tacitus, plutarch, and the like. An english translation, augmented with the biographies of contemporary statesmen, orators, poets, and other associates. This is a translation of the work by suetonius who lived within a couple of generations of the events he describes. Life of augustus, 63 bce14 ce life of claudius, source. With a position close to the imperial court he was able to access otherwise private sources for his work, and he certainly did not hold back on revealing the sometimes sordid. His years in the palaces and halls of imperial government served him. About the life of the caesars, commonly known as the twelve caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the.
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. The lives of the twelve caesars suetonius the translation by philemon holland revised for the present edition, with an introduction, by moses hadas and illustrated with paintings by salvatore fiume fine condition protected in a clean, sturdy, book box. Sharp, bright, clean, solidly bound, antique book handsomely illustrated in with tippedin, fully color. This book, detailing the lives of the twelve roman emperors who were known as caesarsome by a family connection to julius caesar, some just as a titleis. A dictionary of greek and roman antiquities 1890, gens. Caligulas father, germanicus, who was the son of drusus the elder and antonia the younger, was adopted in 4ad by germanicuss paternal uncle,tiberius. Suetonius family was of the knightly class, or equites. Suetonius, in holding up a mirror to those caesars of diverting legend. Part of suetoniuss lives of illustrious men of letters also survives. Part of suetonius s lives of illustrious men of letters also survives. Suetonius life of augustus is the most commonly read ancient account of the life of romes first emperor, presenting a mass of historical and biographical detail about both his public and personal lives. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. The twelve caesars translated, annotated, illustrated published january 20th 2015 by poetry in translation kindle edition, 631 pages. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3.
Punishment by nero was inflicted on the christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition. Book iv gaius caligula a new freely downloadable translation. The twelve caesars is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire written by gaius suetonius tranquillus. In this book you can learn about the early empire, the laws and traditions if thats what you want. Notably, unlike tacitus, suetonius does not associate this punishment with the fire that swept rome. Other articles where lives of the caesars is discussed. He chronicled the extraordinary careers of julius, augustus, tiberius, caligula, claudius, nero, vespasian, and domitian and the rest in technicolour terms. Graves translation is easy to follow and the introduction provides necessary. Gaius suetonius tranquillus c75 c160 ad the twelve caesars is a set of twelve biographies of julius caesar and the first 11 emperors of the roman empire.
The lives of the twelve caesars by suetonius books on. Lives of the twelve caesars audiobook by suetonius. Titus livys only known surviving work is a monumental history of rome that was originally written in latin. Book club edition of translation first published in 1957. The result was that caesar alone took all the credit even for what they spent in common, and his colleague marcus bibulus openly said that his was the fate of pollux. The twelve caesars by suetonius by suetonius nook book. All the lives of the caesars by suetonius are now online at the internet history sourcebooks project. Forester, esqde vita caesarum latin, direct translation. Suetonius tranquillus, the lives of the twelve caesars, to which are added his lives of the grammarians, rhetoricians, and poets. Jan 21, 2016 suetonius grandfather was possibly a member of caligulas court and the writers father, suetonius laetus, was a knight, that is, a member of the equestrian class, holding the position of tribune of the th legion during the 69 ce civil war, a legion he commanded at the battle of bedriacum in northern italy.
The first series premiered in 2003 was based on suetoniuss lives of the caesars later series covered later emperors. For in the most frequented part of the town, there was, not long since, a street named the octavian. He served as quaestor in 7ad five years before the legal age and became consul in 12ad without holding the intermediate offices. The work, written in ad 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, was the most popular work of suetonius.
The twelve caesars the twelve caesars is a gripping account of the lives of men who shaped the early roman empire, and a catalog of the corrupting influence of power on rome and its leaders. The work, written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, was the most popular work of suetonius, at. This edition contains a new chronology, further reading, glossaries, maps, notes and an introduction discussing suetonius life and works. A dictionary of greek and roman antiquities 1890, vesta.
Books by suetonius sorted by popularity project gutenberg. Some foxing to the closed page edges, otherwise near fine. The twelve caesars annotated and over 8 million other books are available for amazon. The twelve caesars by gaius suetonius tranquillus nook. Suetoniuss most popular book is how to be a bad emperor. Suetonius in english, translation, latinenglish dictionary. Suetonius has 159 books on goodreads with 44086 ratings. It is estimated that livys the history of rome was written between 27 and 9 bc and covers the legends of aeneas, the fall of troy, the citys founding in 753 bc, and livys account ends with the reign of emperor augustus.
Suetonius wrote his lives of the twelve caesars in the reign of vespasian around 70ad. The work, written in 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian. Such were the roots of tiberius caesar, who was of claudian descent on both sides, on his fathers from claudius tiberius nero, and on his mothers from publius claudius pulcher, both being sons of appius claudius caecus. The lives of the twelve caesars by suetonius audio book. His translation, however, was very diffuse, and retained most of the. Nov 18, 2014 buy the twelve caesars by suetonius isbn. 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 project gutenberg ebook of the lives of the twelve caesars, complete by c.
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