The Lives of the Caesars

By Suetonius, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, C. Suetonious Tranquillus, et al.

Book Overview

A masterful new translation of Suetonius' renowned biography of the twelve Caesars, bringing to life a portrait of the first Roman emperors in stunning detail

A Penguin Classic

The ancient Roman empire was the supreme arena, where emperors had no choice but to fight, to thrill, to dazzle. To rule as a Caesar was to stand as an actor upon the great stage of the world. No biographies invite us into the lives of the Caesars more vividly or intimately than those by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, written from the center of Rome and power, in the early 2nd century AD.

By placing each Caesar in the context of the generations that had gone before, and connecting personality with policy, Suetonius succeeded in painting Rome's ultimate portraits of power. The shortfalls, foreign policy crises and sex scandals of the emperors are laid bare; we are shown their tastes, their foibles, their eccentricities; we sit at their tables and enter their bedrooms. The result is perhaps the most influential series of biographies ever written.

That Rome lives more vividly in people's imagination than any other ancient empire owes an inordinate amount to Suetonius. Now award-winning author and translator Tom Holland brings us even closer in a new, spellbinding translation. Giving a deeper understanding of the personal lives of Rome's first emperors, and of how they swayed the fates of millions, The Lives of the Caesars is an astonishing, immersive experience of a time and culture at once familiar and utterly alien to our own.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143107704
• ISBN13: 9780143107705
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The Twelve Caesars

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.

Great Introduction for the novice

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!

Stunning translation of a must-read classic

Who better to translate Suetonius' tabloidish classic than the man who made ancient Rome infamous in "I, Claudius", Robert Graves? The Roman emperors are the most decadent, devious, despicable parade of leaders ever, and the dozen sampled here are only the skin off the top - it's impossible to believe that this went on for centuries: the Emperor dies or gets murdered by someone, often his own guard or members of his family, and then someone else gets put in the prince's position to indulge in any kind of madness he pleases until he gets knocked off, too. Suetonius avidly portrays them all: arrogant, brilliant Julius Caesar; shady but charismatic Augustus; twisted old Tiberius; delightfully deranged Caligula; weak but crafty Claudius; and of course the slimy, monstrous Nero. That's only half the book, but even after the famous ones are through, Suetonius still draws compelling enough portraits of lesser-knowns like Galba and Otho to suck us all the way to the end. Graves transforms the master's ancient words into gripping English as if he were writing the whole thing himself (and sometimes it's hard to believe that he didn't, and maybe in a way he did; who needs any more translations of Suetonius after this one?). Anyone curious about the fabled debauchery and fiendishness of the ancient Roman world (like there's anyone who isn't?) should check this out, and then proceed to Graves' classic novels "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" for a more subtler, quirky, and perhaps even more entertaining approach to the subject.

Excellent accompaniment to "I, Claudius"

Suetonius provides a cogent illustration of the lives of twelve Roman emperors from Julius Caesar to Domitian by painting a vivid picture of the civic activities and licentious personal conduct of these twelve Caesars. An able biographer, Suetonius demonstrates his literary competence by authoring a text that both casual readers will find entertaining or students will find enlightening. If you're reading purely for historical quality, I suggest Livy or Tacitus. For amusing antecdotes that read more like a tabloid, "The Twelve Caesars" is worth checking out. No text better depicts the lunacy and moral incontinence of men such as Tiberius, Gaius (Caligula), and Nero. Caligula's declaration of war on Neptune and collection of seashells as bounty, Claudius's edict that flatulence was legally permissible at the supper table after learning that a citizen exploded from "holding it", and Nero's construction of a collapsible boat to kill his mother makes one wonder how Rome survived for another 400 years with men like this in control during the infancy of the empire. A "must read" for students and history buffs of Ancient Rome.