As private secretary to the Emperor 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 public careers and private 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 ...
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As private secretary to the Emperor 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 public careers and private 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, "The Twelve Caesars" presents us with a gallery of vividly drawn - and all too human - individuals.
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This is a well known book within classical circles but for ordinary interested people like myself, once I found out about it, it was like my own personal window into the beginning of the last two thousand years. Written by someone who was alive around that time. It doesn't all check out with currant thinking but that is the great thing! to get another point of view instead of just the present text books. The wonderful thing is I bought it for 67p, How's that for a deal!!!
