The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)
by Suetonius
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Book Summary Information
Author: SuetoniusEditor: Michael Grant
Introduction: Michael Grant
Translator: Robert Graves
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-05-06
ISBN: 0140449213
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Book Reviews of The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Ancient Enquirer
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Summary of The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)
As private secretary to the Emporer Hadrian, Suetonius gained access to the imperial archives and used them (along with carefully gathered eye-witness accounts ) to produce one of the most colourful biographical works in history. "The Twelve Caesars" chronicles the lives of the men who wielded absolute power over Rome, from the foundation of the empire under Julius Caesar and Augustus, to the decline into depravity and civil war under Nero, and the recovery and stability that came with his successors. A masterpiece of anecdote, wry observation and detailed physical description, this text presents us with a gallery of vividly drawn - and all too human - individuals.Born in 60 A.D., Suetonius served for several years as secretary to the Roman emperor Hadrian. His years in the palaces and halls of imperial government served him well when he set out to write this oftentimes eye-popping, tell-all account of the doings of the first 12 emperors, from Julius to Domitian, who make the good fellas of Mafia renown seem tame by comparison. From Suetonius we learn that Augustus was afraid of lightning and thunder and carried a piece of seal skin as protection against them; that Caligula slept with his mother and his sister; and that Nero outlawed mimes in Rome--which may mean that he wasn't such a bad man after all. Suetonius doesn't hesitate to say when he's reporting gossip that he has not personally verified, but what gossip it is! This translation, by the noted classicist Robert Graves, serves the ancient chronicler very well indeed.
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