An essential primary source on Roman history and a fascinating
achievement of scholarship covering a critical period in the Empire
As private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian, the scholar Suetonius had
access to the imperial archives and used them (along with eyewitness
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 that
came with his successors. A masterpiece of observation, anecdote and
detailed physical description, The Twelve Caesars presents us with a
gallery of vividly drawn--and all too human--individuals.
James B. Rives has sensitively updated Robert Graves's now classic
translation, reinstating Latin terms and updating vocabulary while
retaining the liveliness of the original. This edition contains a new
chronology, further reading, glossaries, maps, notes and an introduction
discussing Suetonius' life and works.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
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notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
