|
The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics) | 
| Author: Suetonius
Creators: James Rives, Robert Graves
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $8.45
You Save: $6.55 (44%)
New (41) Used (20) from $2.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 27766
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0140455167
Dewey Decimal Number: 937.070922
EAN: 9780140455168
ASIN: 0140455167
Publication Date: December 18, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Historical Hatch Job October 5, 2008
The classifies as rewriting history with eggs on the faces of all the great men; some deserved it, others may not have.
Like the books that 40 years later talk about the sex lives
of famous presidents, this book sets out to make people like Octavius
and Julius Caesar look bad. Like saying Jesus had a son by Mary Magdalene
or saying Jesus was a magician who used "tricks", this book takes men who were deified and tries to make them look as black as possible
by telling all the rumors and lies that went around.
These are not the biographies you find in the history book or encyclopedias,
but what their enemies might have said about them.
 Great Introduction for the novice September 7, 2008
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!
The Best of Roman Tabloids August 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Don't be put off by the antiquity of this book, its a fascinating look at the tremendous heights of empirical glory and despotism that kicked off the Roman Empire. From the ravenously ambitious Julius to the brilliant government of Augustus to the mad and criminal excesses of Tiberius, Caligula and Nero, Suetonius brings the first 12 emperors to life in brilliant detail and color. This book is the perfect meeting of History Channel and tabloid, a must read for any history buff, or anyone who wants a taste of the fantastic world that was ancient Rome.
Scandalous Histories June 1, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Mine is a much earlier edition of THE TWELVE CAESARS, but it's still Robert Graves translation of Suetonius' text, so it is what it is. Suetonius was apparently quite a prolific writer, with a wide variety of titles, from LIVES OF FAMOUS WHORES to METHODS OF RECKONING TIME to his credit. Outside of a few isolated fragments, however, THE TWELVE CAESARS is his only surviving work. It begins with Julius Caesar, who was Dictator but never Emperor in the true sense, continues through Nero, who was assassinated around the time of Suetonius' birth and was the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, and ends with Domitian, last Emperor of the Flavian dynasty. You also get lots of helpful items included, such as family trees of the imperial families and relevant maps. Altogether, this is a very nice book.
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was a Roman of the equestrian class, born around the year 69. Little is known of his life, but his friend, Pliny the Younger, tells us that he practised law briefly, avoided politics and eventually became chief secretary to the Emperor Hadrian. His prominent position in the palace would have been extremely helpful to his writings, providing him with ready access to imperial and senatorial archives and to people who had first-hand knowledge of the events Suetonius was writing about. He uses this material well by writing more than just a dry accounting of public events. Along with the major occurrences, we are also treated to the private lives of his subjects: personal anecdotes, scandalous details, and amusing incidents that only palace intimates would have known. Suetonius presents this material in an even-handed style, avoiding any obvious personal bias and freely admitting when he tells of something that he is unable to verify. These are lively biographies that read more like soap operas than official histories.
THE TWELVE CAESARS is a very readable and entertaining account of the lives of the first twelve Roman "Caesars". While it contains a wealth of valuable historical information, it is also very entertaining and quite suitable for the casual reader. Highly recommended for anybody with an interest in, or simple curiosity about, ancient Rome.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
