The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics) by Suetonius Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Get the Graves translation!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you enjoyed Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God", the Penguin edition of Suetonius' "The Twelve Caesars" is a must-have in your collection. Graves wields a rich command of English vocabulary to capture the subtle nuances of Suetonius' original Latin words. The result is a tremendously readable and clear rendition of this ancient text, with the business of language barrier thoroughly put away. It puts the reader right back in that time.
No need to echo what many other reviewers have already assessed as the virtues of this work. The 150 years or so featured here, from the reign of Julius Caesar through that of Domitian, are some of the most turbulent, scandalous, and horrifying in the history of the Roman Empire. Highly recommended for all history buffs.
Book Review: Suetonius brings ancient history to life...
Summary: 5 Stars
Ancient history has seldom been as fascinating or alive as when told by Suetonius as he describes the dramatic lives of the Twelve Caesars. Strongly recommended as much to students of history as to people want to understand the surreal effects that massive concentrations of power can have upon human character. Book Review: A 'Mostly Reliable' Source
Summary: 4 Stars
Many people have called this book the original tabloid known to man. That is a good way to describe the way Twelve Caesars. We can't come to this piece of work expecting everything to be accurate and without bias. Many of the things were rumors that had spread concerning various Caesars and may not have been true. However, since it was accepted and not condemned, there is mostly likely a bit of truth to these rumors. They were consistent to the way that people saw them.
There seems to be a bit of a 'good ole days' approach to Julius Caesar and Augustus, but other primary sources back up a lot of what is written about them. Unfortunately, not a lot of primary sources like this exist so we are forced to discern the truth from the twisting or stretching of truth.
The reader may find the way that Seutonius writes difficult to follow. Obviously, it was written in a different time, so the rational historical narrative style that we would write it as today does not apply to Seutonius. Instead, he gives a family background to the various Caesars, followed by how they came to the throne, followed by the good things that they did, proceeded by the bad things they did, and wrapped up with how they died and the bad omens that preceeded their deaths. he does not seem to write chronologically as we would like him to, instead, lumped together things under different categories.
For those that have an interest in the various Caesars, it is a good read. Instead of rereading various sources that rely on Seutonius, we are able to read the primary source. But if you are looking for a 'set in stone', unbiased, straight forward history, you're not really going to get it here. Still a good, entertaining rule. If anything, it allows you to be thankful for the leadership we have today and that men such as Nero and Galba would not be allowed to rule in the US today.
Book Review: A dazzling work
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this edition of Suetonius thirty years ago and still remember it with pleasure. Grave's lucid translation is as seductive as bestselling fiction. It conveys an extraordinary chronicle of corruption, deceit, and brutal criminality at the highest levels of early Imperial Rome. By Nero's time (54-68 AD) it was commonly said two augurs couldn't pass each other in the street without smiling.
Also recommended: `I, Claudius' and `Claudius the God' (Robert Graves), `The Annals of Imperial Rome' (Tacitus/Michael Grant), and `The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' (Gibbon).
Book Review: Good job again
Summary: 5 Stars
The book arrived in excellent condition and before the time promised. Except for the UPS hassles(having to sign for delivery when I work on weekdays), everything went smooth.