Suetonius: The Faceless Scholar of Imperial Rome
Suetonius' influence extends beyond his own time. His biographical style set a precedent for later historians and biographers.
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, was a Roman historian and biographer, best known for his work The Twelve Caesars (De Vita Caesarum), which provides detailed biographies of the first twelve Roman emperors, from Julius Caesar to Domitian.
Who was the pen that shaped Roman history?
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus is one of the many Roman writers who reveal little about their personal lives. He mentions only that he was the son of Suetonius Laetus, a Roman knight who served as a tribune in the thirteenth legion during the battle of Betriacum.
Apart from four other brief references, which don’t add much but help estimate his birth year—placed by Mommsen, a renowned 19th-century German scholar, in 77 CE, and by Macé, an American historian, more likely in 69 CE—we know little about his early life. Most of what we know comes from the letters of Pliny the Younger and a single reference in Spartianus, who wrote a biography of Hadrian during the reign of Diocletian.
Suetonius
Suetonius
Suetonius in the illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle.
Suetonius (Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus) was probably born around 69 CE in Italy. Roman writer and historian, creator of the biography of Roman emperors. He wrote in both Latin and Greek.
He was from the equite status. The date of his birth is drawn from his texts, in which he mentions himself as a &#;young man&#; twenty years after Nero&#;s death. His father, Suetonius Laetus, was a military tribune (tribunus angusticlavius ) to the Thirteenth Legion, where he fought at Bedriakum in the Otho troops, of which Suetonius informs Otho in his life.
Suetonius was educated in Rome, where schools of rhetoric were established en masse at that time. He was friends with Tacitus and was in close contact with Senator Pliny the Younger. Most of the information we have about Suetonius comes from the correspondence of Pliny. Pliny describes Suetonius as a quiet and intellectual man devoted to writing. Moreover, we know that Pliny helped him buy a small property, and in one of his letters he interceded for Suetonius with Emperor Trajan. The point was that Suetonius lived in a childless marriage, which was agai
Roman Emperors Biography Becomes Bestseller Almost 2, Years Later
An ancient historical biography detailing the lives of Roman emperors has reached The Sunday Times Hardback Non-Fiction Bestseller List.
Originally written in Latin in the early second century, The Lives of the Caesars by Roman historian Suetonius has been newly translated by historian and The Rest Is History podcast co-host Tom Holland. The book, a collection of 12 biographies covering the reigns of Julius Caesar and the first 11 Roman emperors (including Augustus and Nero), is the first nonfiction hardback classic from Penguin Classics to appear on the bestseller list.
Turning an ancient Roman emperors biography into a bestseller
Holland compared the process of translating Suetonius to a marriage—an intimate, time-consuming endeavor requiring patience and dedication.
“You spend a long time, a long period with someone who you think you’re going to enjoy the company of, so it’s always good to discover that actually you do,” he said.
Ensuring both linguistic accuracy and Suetonius’ distinctive voice was essential in making the text accessible to modern audiences.
This latest translation brings togethe
Roman Historian Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, known as Suetonius, was a Roman historian and biographer whose works have significantly contributed to our understanding of the Roman Empire.
His writings, particularly The Twelve Caesars, provide detailed accounts of the lives of Rome&#;s early emperors, offering insights into their characters, reigns, and the political and cultural dynamics of the era.
Born around AD 69, Suetonius lived during a transformative period in Roman history and held prominent administrative positions under emperors Trajan and Hadrian.
Early Life and Background
Suetonius&#;s exact birthplace is debated, with most scholars suggesting Hippo Regius in Numidia (modern-day Algeria) as his likely origin. His birth around AD 69 is inferred from his description of himself as a &#;young man&#; approximately 20 years after Nero&#;s death.
Suetonius came from a family of moderate social standing, with his father, Suetonius Laetus, serving as a tribune (tribunus angusticlavius) in Legio XIII Gemina. This role placed his father in the equestrian order, a respected but not elite position within Roman society.
Despite his modest background, Suetonius
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