The loeb classical library edition of suetonius is in two volumes. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. She is the author of articles on roman historical subjects and of two commentaries on suetonius. Although a biographer of others, suetonius tells his readers very few details of his own life. Notably, unlike tacitus, suetonius does not associate this punishment with the fire that swept rome. Suetonius was chosen because he wrote more closely than his peers to how modern biographers write, and the augustus was chosen because it is the.
His place of birth is disputed, but most scholars place it in hippo regius, a small north african town in numidia, in modernday algeria. 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. Suetonius life of augustus is the most commonly read ancient account. 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. Also uncertain are his place of birth perhaps either umbria or hippo regius in numidia and the year of his death. Julius caesar, the divine 3, lost his father 4 when he was in the sixteenth year of his age 5. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25 important. With the death of the great augustus, tiberius, already in his 50s, became the next roman emperor and ruled from 14 ad to 37 ad. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. A comparative analysis between suetonius life of augustus. There are many indications that the octavian family was in days of old a distinguished one at velitrae. This volume provides the first largescale commentary on suetonius work in english, drawing out what is unique about suetonius information. This integrated electronic edition will contain latin texts, english translations, and commentaries, together with links to the extensive lexical and geographical reference material available at perseus. Suetonius has a way of offering unsubstantiated generalisations. Ad 117 at the height of the roman empire, the lives of the caesars is a unique, intense, and individual portrait of each emperor. 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.
Other works by suetonius concern the daily life of rome, politics, oratory, and the lives of famous writers, including poets, historians, and grammarians. There is already a latin text of suetoniuss lives of the caesars. Suetonius goes to great lengths to reveal the way these men really were, as human beings. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The gospel of mark from the bible was chosen because it is probably the earliest extant account of the life of jesus. The translation of suetonius latin text occupies 37 pages. According to suetonius, augustus lived a modest life, with few luxuries. An historical commentary on cassius dios roman history books 5556 9 b. This volume provides the first largescale commentary on suetonius work in english. He chronicled the extraordinary careers of julius, augustus, tiberius, caligula, claudius, nero, vespasian, and domitian and the rest in technicolour terms.
The work, written in ad 121 during the reign of the emperor hadrian, was the most popular work of suetonius. The book is wardles third volume in oxford university presss prestigious clarendon ancient history series. By all accounts, the octavii, of ancient velitrae velletri were a distinguished family. He begot gnaeus and gaius, from whom two branches of the octavian family were derived, of very different standing. Religions free fulltext are the gospels historically. Wardle has done it full justice with a 40page introduction and nearly 500 pages of small print commentary that detail parallel accounts in. Through to the present day suetonius has profoundly shaped modern perceptions of roman society. Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system. Suetonius also indicates that either caesars friend oppius, or hirtius likely wrote about the alexandrian, african and spanish wars, but that their authorship was not certain. This volume provides the first largescale commentary on suetonius life of augustus together with an english translation, drawing out what is unique about suetonius information, discussing its read more. He was of equestrian rank, practiced law, and was for a time secretary to the emperor hadrian reg. Beginning with caesar himself, in the mid first century bc, it ends in ad 96 with domitian and covers the reigns.
Why was augustus so successful in creating the roman. Life of augustus clarendon ancient history series 9780199686469. Suetonius s account of neros death is justly famous. 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 other ancient. Nielsen book data summary 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. Three examples will give a flavour the translation is quoted in bold. An historical and historiographical commentary of suetonius life of c. Each emperor is dissected, and his actions beyond politics and professionalism revealed. Suetonius quotes augustus as repeatedly cursing his enemies by saying that they should have a wife and children like mine. Suetonius was chosen because he wrote more closely than his peers to how modern biographers write, and the augustus was chosen because it is the finest of suetoniuss lives. Written by a palace insider and published during the reign of hadrian c. Introduction to suetonius life, genre, method, style, and achievement.
Suetonius the lives of the caesars quite often resembles a modern sensationalized tabloid, stuffed with insinuations, scandal, and royal shenanigans, but it is really much more. The twelve caesars is probably the most in depth book ever written about the personal lives of the twelve caesars. Unlike plutarchs slightly earlier chronological lives, suetonius was thematic. Very nearly all that is known about the lives of romes eminent authors stems ultimately from this work, which survives only in the whole of one section and in the preface and five lives. A fascinating read for those of us who need to fill in some gaps in our education. Suetonius wrote his lives of the twelve caesars in the reign of vespasian around 70ad. He was sacked in ad119, allegedly because he was having an affair with the empress.
Suetonius, and specifically the life of augustus, to project charlemagne as a true roman emperor. Suetonius follows this with the alternate account provided by augustus, which has elements of truth. Suetonius twelve caesars is a key narrative source for the period it covers and, unlike tacitus, it has survived entire and is uninterrupted. Life of augustus lxv we have here a complex relationship, perhaps summed up in suetonius personal gift to hadrian of a statuette of augustus bearing the obscure name thurinus, now kept in the imperial shrine aug. Accompanied by an introduction which investigates the career of suetonius, the date of the lives of the caesars, the structure of the life of augustus, the various sources utilized by suetonius, and the way in which the reader should approach this complex text, the commentary also looks to examine suetonius work not just as a repository of. However, augustus himself writes that gallius had requested an audience, made an attempt on his life, and was thrown into prison by him. Wiersbe, the bible exposition commentary new testament. Punishment by nero was inflicted on the christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition. Polybius, livy, or tacitus, the historical commentary has been and remains. Gaius suetonius tranquillus was probably born about 69 ad, a date deduced from his remarks describing himself as a young man twenty years after neros death. One senator proposed that since augustus began his life in september, and it ended in august, the name of the latter month should be transferred to the former. In a way this was an unfortunate turn of events for the roman people since tiberius, always a dark, gloomy, reclusive man, really did not want the responsibility of being the leader of an entire empire.
The result of this focused comparison suggests that the life of augustus and the gospel of mark can be said to be. Gaius suetonius tranquillus was born in the tragic year of the four emperors, a. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Augustus lived in an ordinary roman house, ate ordinary roman meals, and slept in an ordinary roman bed. If i had more time for ancient rome i would follow up with the life of augustus ceasar in greater detail.
Information in the index entries frequently extends that given by suetonius in the text without however attributing sources. Suetonius also makes mention of neros persecution in 16. Gaius suetonius tranquillus, commonly known as suetonius ca. They presented some high and low times at the heart of the roman empire. As the title of his book hints, his more or less explicit model is the roman historian suetonius, who wrote about 2000 years ago and whose chatty, gossipy book famously profiled 12 caesars instead.
Additional english translations and commentaries will follow. Rolfe, suetonius, the lives of the twelve caesars, london, 1914. Suetoniuss life of the divine augustus and the gospel of mark, are then assessed by using the criteria. Life of augustus clarendon ancient history series reprint by wardle, d. Written in 121 ce by suetonius, the twelve caesars gives an account of the public careers and private lives of the men who reigned with absolute power in rome. Gaius julius caesar augustus 63 bc 14 ad born gaius octavius thurinus and known as octavian was the grandnephew of julius caesar and the first emperor of rome. Suetonius s life of the divine augustus and the gospel of mark, are then assessed by using the criteria. Another, that the whole period his life covered, from birth to death, should be called the augustan age, and so entered in the calendar. That the family of the octavii was of the first distinction in velitrae, 1 is rendered evident by many circumstances. The exact date of birth of suetonius is not known for certain but the most agreed upon range is between 69 and 75 ce. Suetonius compressed style, the biography of augustus the longest surviving.
This volume provides the first largescale commentary on suetonius. Part of a series which includes a volume on each of the julioclaudian emperor. Suetonius listeners and readers were also living under emperors with absolute power. Suetonius life of augustus is not only the longest of the lives of the caesars, but also the most important for the details preserved in the biography. This is a detailed discription of the war campaigns of julius caesar, starting from the time that he was in charge of the roman forces in france. Other works by suetonius concern the daily life of rome, politics, oratory. I found it interesting to dig up any inscriptions for caligula or ccaesar on inscriptions from the julio claudian epigraphy or.
Written by a palace insider and published at the height of the roman empire, it gives a unique, intense, and individual. Maybe the later impact of the author lies beyond the scope of an already rich commentary, and yet the citations of the historia augusta in the course of the commentary thoug h these do not appear in the index. Lives of the twelve caesars audiobook by suetonius. 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. Apocolocyntosis bryn mawr commentaries, latin latin and english edition. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Electronic texts and resources the stoa and the perseus project will be collaborating on a new electronic edition of suetonius s lives of the caesars. For in the most frequented part of the town, there was, not long since, a street named the octavian. A few of these books have partially survived, but many have been lost. Not only was there an octavian street in the busiest part of town, but there was also an altar consecrated to an octavius who led the troops in a war with a neighbouring city. The lives of the caesars quite often resembles a modern sensationalized tabloid, stuffed with insinuations, scandal, and royal shenanigans, but it is really much more. Aug 28, 20 suetonius twelve caesars is a key narrative source for the period it covers and, unlike tacitus, it has survived entire and is uninterrupted.
Suetonius life of augustus the life of augustus, written by the roman writer. Life of augustus has been described as a comprehensive, historical, historiographical and literary commentary in english on the biography of romes first emperor, augustus, written in the second century ad. From the founding of the empire under julius caesar and augustus to its decline under nero, as well as the recovery carried out by successors. This 52page guide for the twelve caesars by suetonius includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. When studying the oral biographies of antiquity, the primary question that writers sought to answer was who is this man. 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. The life of augustus is one of the most important ancient sources of history for the late roman republic and early imperial period, as well as the life of roman emperor augustus. It includes the latin text, chronology, detailed notes on the text and comprehensive indexes. A strong emphasis was placed on the individuals words and deeds, which were deemed vital to the literary narrative, but it. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Livia having married augustus when she was pregnant was, within three months afterwards, delivered. Wikipedia and other internet sites will provide good additional information for those seeking deeper knowledge.
We find many anecdotes, much gossip of the imperial court, and various details of character and personal appearance. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. The commentary is the first to be accessible to readers without any knowledge of latin or greek due to its use of english lemmata, while the new translation. Hurley has taught at columbia, princeton, and rutgers universities. Suetonius was a very powerful writer it is from suetonius that we have our most powerful images of the roman emperors caligula making his horse. 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 other ancient accounts, and. May 10, 2016 his major work, the lives of the twelve caesars, was published, presumably in different chunks, in the course of hadrians reign between ad 1178. The commentary takes twentyone pages 22344 to unpack this account. Bordeaux published a set of epigrams on the theme book xiv. Suetonius life of caligula brussels, 1994, valerius maximus memorable deeds and sayings oxford, 1998 and ciceros on divination oxford, 2006, and suetonius. This book although from the 1920s is invaluable if you are looking for archaeological evidence with a primary focus on extant inscriptions from the book on gaius caligula from the author gaius tranqullius suetonius.
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