The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)

See Larger Image	Manufacturer: Penguin Classics Written By: Suetonius Average Customer Rating:


Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 937.070922 EAN: 9780140449211 ISBN: 0140449213 Label: Penguin Classics Manufacturer: Penguin Classics Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 384 Publication Date: 2003-05-06 Publisher: Penguin Classics Release Date: 2003-05-06 Studio: Penguin Classics
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Editorial Reviews: Translated by Robert Graves and Revised with an Introduction by Michael Grant.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: A must have for Roman history buffs Comment: Suetonius gives us a fairly level-headed early history of the Roman leaders and gives a very readable narrative. he goes from leader to leader and we consider him to be the best source for early Rome. Customer Rating: Summary: A Must Have for Historians Comment: When I first become seriously interested in the history of Rome, this was one of the first books I read. I really enjoyed it and found it easy to read. Suetonius has the book is divided up into the first twelve Caesars, staring with Gaius Julius Caesar and briefly discusses their lives prior to becoming Caesar and then spends the majority of the chapter on their time as Caesar. He spares no one in this, if they were morally corrupt (as most of them seemed to be) he completely tells it all. It is easy to tell, however, which Emperors, Suetonius and probably most Romans admired and respected, Augustus being one of them. This is a must have for anyone who is studying Rome. Customer Rating: Summary: Rome for Dummies c119 AD Comment: It is a sad fact of history that of all the histories of the Roman Emperors that were written, including the contemporary biographies and autobiographies, that most have been lost forever. Suetonius came into Imperial favour riding the coat(or toga) tails of the success of Pliny The Younger - it is quite likely that we may otherwise have never have heard of him. It isn't an entirely useless work, as it does give some interesting insights as to how second century Imperial Rome looked upon its founding fathers. Still, for historians, Suetonius' work is far from an evidentiary goldmine. The best comparison one can give to this work is as a compilation of anecdotes and contemporary reports - many of which are indeed interesting - but do leave the historian in us all pining for that which has been lost. Customer Rating: Summary: Suetonius: The Twelve Caesars Comment: For anyone interested in the source of Robert Graves' "Claudius" series, reading Suetonius is mandatory. A fascinating glimpse into Roman political life. Customer Rating: Summary: Ancient Enquirer Comment: Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars, writing in the early second century, provides the modern reader with details of all the depraved decadence and ruthless violence of the ancient Roman Empire, an association that has become so very much engrained into our present collective memory. This Roman historian, unlike most ancient sources, concentrates not on the large events, such as battles (for instance, he barely mentions anything of Caesar's epic campaigns in Gaul), but rather he chooses to place his emphasis on the personal lives and characters of the Caesars. If Suetonius were alive today, we would be reading him in the National Enquirer, or some other paparazzi infested tabloid riddled with cheating movie stars or pop musicians with love handles. He enjoys telling the gossip, but most of all, he seems to revel in the stories of perversion and crime, of torture and bloodshed - the more scandal, the better. He presents each life at first as a short political biography, beginning with a genealogical background and then a brief summary of the accomplishments they made as both politicians and emperors. He assesses their most honorable, or at least satisfactory, traits and actions. However, this rarely lasts more than ten pages, out of a thirty-or-so page biography, and usually consists of mundane government actions, or the different places they moved to when they were young. He then frankly informs the reader that he will proceed to list their crimes, which are always much longer and more descriptive than any of their virtuous elements, with the clear intent to prove what pathetic monstrosities they truly were (according to him, that is). His method certainly leaves the desired effect with the reader, for by the time one is done reading the revolting acts and descriptions that Suetonius provides, one is apt to forget all the acceptable and praise-worthy points that they had read a few dozen pages before. The one exception to this trend appears to be the only emperor whom Suetonius admired - Augustus. Although he goes fairly easy on Julius Caesar (compared with the later Caesars, that is), the figure nevertheless fails to make his approval. Augustus' crimes, which are relatively few, seem to occur mostly in his youth, before he was emperor, such as killing prisoners where others would have allowed them to live. The virtue of Augustus that to Suetonius seems most admirable is his unyielding prudence. For instance, Augustus, throughout his reign, refrains from the title of "Emperor," shows the utmost humbleness in the Senate, and never seems to overindulge in decadence. He disallows even his image to be placed among the gods in the temples, insisting that he is a servant of the people, and rules only with their consent. Likewise, his reasoning is consistently sound and his justice fair, usually preferring not to punish critics or rebels, but rather redirect their efforts or cripple their attempts through clever ruses. He seems to appreciate Augustus' seemingly indirect approach to ruling. Although he, of course, recognizes that it is often a masquerade, he nevertheless condones it. All of the emperors after Augustus, however, fail to find redemption in Suetonius' critical, scandal-seeking eye. Tiberius, who at first seems to find approval in his early career, ultimately falls into depravity and vicious homicide. Claudius is an insane, scatter-brained tyrant. And Nero proves himself to be a neglectful, atrociously doomed creature that nearly destroys the Empire. Even with all these abhorrent figures, the Emperor who seems to most find the author's loathing is Caligula. Even in the early part of the biography, where Suetonius is normally tame, the young man is shown to "not control his natural brutality and viciousness" (Suetonius 155). The rest of his governmental account, perhaps the shortest of all the Julio-Claudian emperors, ends with: "So much for the Emperor; the rest of this history must deal with the Monster" (Suetonius 161). Caligula is presented as almost the exact antithesis of Augustus. Whereas Augustus presented praiseworthy prudence, Caligula showed outrageous decadence, humiliated the Senate, believed him to be a god, and took part in nearly every sexual and violent depravity imaginable. Also, Augustus cared little for his appearance where Caligula scalped the back of a man's head for having a thicker head of hair than he. The counterpoints are endless, and Suetonius gives no mercy in his telling. In all of these condemnable Caesars, the lust of power seems the most objectionable trait in them. Of course, Suetonius was of the senatorial class, traditionally hostile to the imperial rule, and it is therefore understandable that he would prefer the emperor that was most humble and consenting to the Senate than the one who openly grabbed the most control. This should make one question the reliability of him as a source. Another reason is his admitted insertion of hearsay and rumors into the telling, often painting a very unsavory picture to prove his point. This is not to say that all that he writes should be subject to such suspicion and assumed false, however, the casual reader should keep in mind that Suetonius is writing with a purpose - to prove the evil and depravity of the imperial institution. Nevertheless, Suetonius provides modern readers with a fascinating, shameless account of debauchery and political intrigue that is as guilty a pleasure to read now as it undoubtedly was nearly two millennia ago. More Reviews