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Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a
Roman historian Roman historiography stretches back to at least the 3rd century BC and was indebted to earlier Greek historiography. The Romans relied on previous models in the Greek tradition such as the works of Herodotus (c. 484 – 425 BC) and Thucydides (c. ...
who wrote during the early Imperial era of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies of 12 successive Roman rulers, from
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
to
Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...
, properly entitled ''De vita Caesarum''. Other works by Suetonius concerned the daily life of
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
, oratory, and the lives of famous writers, including poets, historians, and grammarians. A few of these books have partially survived, but many have been lost.


Life

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was probably born about AD 69, a date deduced from his remarks describing himself as a "young man" 20 years after
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...
's death. His place of birth is disputed, but most scholars place it in Hippo Regius, a small north African town in Numidia, in modern-day
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
. It is certain that Suetonius came from a family of moderate social position, that his father, Suetonius Laetus, was a tribune belonging to the
equestrian order The ''equites'' (; literally "horse-" or "cavalrymen", though sometimes referred to as "knights" in English) constituted the second of the property-based classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the senatorial class. A member of the equestrian ...
(''
tribunus angusticlavius A ''tribunus angusticlavius'' ("narrow-striped tribune"; plural: ''tribuni angusticlavii'') was a senior military officer in the Roman legions during the late Roman Republic and the Principate. The ''tribunus angusticlavius'' was a junior military ...
'') in
Legio XIII Gemina , in English the 13th Twin Legion was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was one of Julius Caesar's key units in Gaul and in the civil war, and was the legion with which he crossed the Rubicon in January, perhaps the 10th, 49 BC. The legi ...
, and that Suetonius was educated when schools of rhetoric flourished in Rome. Suetonius was a close friend of senator and letter-writer Pliny the Younger. Pliny describes him as "quiet and studious, a man dedicated to writing." Pliny helped him buy a small property and interceded with the Emperor
Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
to grant Suetonius immunities usually granted to a father of three, the ''
ius trium liberorum The jus trium liberorum, meaning "the right of three children" in Latin, was a privilege awarded to Roman citizens who had produced at least three children or freedmen of either sex who had produced at least four children. It was a direct result ...
'', because his marriage was childless. Through Pliny, Suetonius came into favour with
Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
and
Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
. Suetonius may have served on Pliny's staff when Pliny was
Proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ...
of
Bithynia and Pontus Bithynia and Pontus ( la, Provincia Bithynia et Pontus, Ancient Greek ) was the name of a province of the Roman Empire on the Black Sea coast of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). It was formed during the late Roman Republic by the amalgamation of the ...
(northern
Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
) between 110 and 112. Under Trajan he served as secretary of studies (precise functions are uncertain) and director of Imperial archives. Under Hadrian, he became the Emperor's secretary. But Hadrian later dismissed Suetonius for the latter's alleged affair with the empress
Vibia Sabina Vibia Sabina (13 August 83–136/137) was a Roman Empress, wife and second cousin once removed to the Roman Emperor Hadrian. She was the daughter of Matidia (niece of Roman Emperor Trajan) and suffect consul Lucius Vibius Sabinus. Early li ...
.


Works


The Twelve Caesars

He is mainly remembered as the author of ''De Vita Caesarum''—translated as ''The Life of the Caesars'' although a more common English title is ''The Lives of the Twelve Caesars'' or simply ''
The Twelve Caesars ''De vita Caesarum'' (Latin; "About the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as ''The Twelve Caesars'', is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The gr ...
''—his only extant work except for the brief biographies and other fragments noted below. ''The Twelve Caesars'', probably written in Hadrian's time, is a collective biography of the Roman Empire's first leaders,
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
(the first few chapters are missing),
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
,
Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
, Caligula,
Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...
,
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...
, Galba,
Otho Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. A member of a noble Etr ...
,
Vitellius Aulus Vitellius (; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius was proclaimed emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of ci ...
,
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
,
Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
and
Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...
. The book was dedicated to his friend
Gaius Septicius Clarus Gaius Septicius Clarus ('' fl.'' 2nd century CE), was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard (better known as the Praetorian Guard) and influential as a friend and supporter of famous Silver Age authors Pliny the Younger and Suetonius. Pra ...
, a
prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
of the
Praetorian Guard The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...
in 119. The work tells the tale of each Caesar's life according to a set formula: the descriptions of appearance, omens, family history, quotes, and then a history are given in a consistent order for each Caesar. He recorded the earliest accounts of Julius Caesar's epileptic seizures.


Other works


Partly extant

*''De Viris Illustribus'' ("On Famous Men" — in the field of literature), to which belong: **''De Illustribus Grammaticis'' ("Lives of the Grammarians"; 20 brief lives, apparently complete) **''De Claris Rhetoribus'' ("Lives of the Rhetoricians"; 5 brief lives out of an original 16 survive) **''De Poetis'' ("Lives of the Poets"; the life of
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
, as well as fragments from the lives of
Terence Publius Terentius Afer (; – ), better known in English as Terence (), was a Roman African playwright during the Roman Republic. His comedies were performed for the first time around 166–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought ...
,
Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...
and Lucan, survive) **''De Historicis'' ("Lives of the historians"; a brief life of
Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...
is attributed to this work) *''Peri ton par' Hellesi paidion'' ("Greek Games") *''Peri blasphemion'' ("Greek Terms of Abuse") The two last works were written in Greek. They apparently survive in part in the form of extracts in later Greek glossaries.


Lost works

The following list of lost works of Suetonius is taken from the foreword written by Robert Graves in his translation of the ''Twelve Caesars.'' *''Royal Biographies'' *''Lives of Famous Whores'' *''Roman Manners and Customs'' *''The Roman Year'' *''The Roman Festivals'' *''Roman Dress'' *''Greek Games'' *''Offices of State'' *''On Cicero’s Republic'' *''Physical Defects of Mankind'' *''Methods of Reckoning Time'' *''An Essay on Nature'' *''Greek Objurations'' *''Grammatical Problems'' *''Critical Signs Used in Books'' The introduction to the Loeb edition of Suetonius, translated by J. C. Rolfe, with an introduction by K. R. Bradley, references the ''
Suda The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; grc-x-medieval, Σοῦδα, Soûda; la, Suidae Lexicon) is a large 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas (Σούδας) or Souidas ...
'' with the following titles: *''On Greek games'' *''On Roman spectacles and games'' *''On the Roman year'' *''On critical signs in books'' *''On Cicero's Republic'' *''On names and types of clothes'' *''On insults'' *''On Rome and its customs and manners'' The volume adds other titles not testified within the Suda. *''On famous courtesans'' *''On kings'' *''On the institution of offices'' *''On physical defects'' *''On weather signs'' *''On names of seas and rivers'' *''On names of winds'' Two other titles may also be collections of some of the aforelisted: *''Pratum (Miscellany)'' *''On various matters''


Editions

* Edwards, Catherine ''Lives of the Caesars.'' Oxford World's Classics. (Oxford University Press, 2008). * Robert Graves (trans.), ''Suetonius: The Twelve Caesars'' (Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, Ltd, 1957) * Donna W. Hurley (trans.), ''Suetonius: The Caesars'' (Indianapolis/London: Hackett Publishing Company, 2011). * J.C. Rolfe (trans.), ''Lives of the Caesars, Volume I'' ( Loeb Classical Library 31, Harvard University Press, 1997). * J.C. Rolfe (trans.), ''Lives of the Caesars, Volume II'' (Loeb Classical Library 38, Harvard University Press, 1998). * ''C. Suetonii Tranquilli De vita Caesarum libros VIII et De grammaticis et rhetoribus librum'', ed. Robert A. Kaster (Oxford: 2016).


See also

* Suetonius on Christians


Notes


References

*
Barry Baldwin Barry Baldwin (born in England in 1937) is a classicist, journalist and author of mystery fiction. He gained a doctorate at the University of Nottingham and worked in Australia and Canada. For two years he contributed a regular column to the Briti ...
, ''Suetonius: Biographer of the Caesars''. Amsterdam: A. M. Hakkert, 1983. * Gladhill, Bill. “The Emperor's No Clothes: Suetonius and the Dynamics of Corporeal Ecphrasis.” ''Classical Antiquity'', vol. 31, no. 2, 2012, pp. 315–348. * Lounsbury, Richard C. ''The Arts of Suetonius: An Introduction.'' Frankfurt: Lang, 1987. * Mitchell, Jack “Literary Quotation as Literary Performance in Suetonius.” ''The Classical Journal'', vol. 110, no. 3, 2015, pp. 333–355 * Newbold, R.F. “Non-Verbal Communication in Suetonius and ‘The Historia Augusta:' Power, Posture and Proxemics.” ''Acta Classica'', vol. 43, 2000, pp. 101–118. * Power, Tristan, ''Collected Papers on Suetonius''. Abingdon: Routledge, 2021. * Power, Tristan and Roy K. Gibson (ed.), ''Suetonius, the Biographer: Studies in Roman Lives.'' Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2014 * Syme, Ronald. "The Travels of Suetonius Tranquillus." ''Hermes'' 109:105–117, 1981. * Trentin, Lisa. “Deformity in the Roman Imperial Court.” ''Greece & Rome'', vol. 58, no. 2, 2011, pp. 195–208. * Trevor, Luke “Ideology and Humor in Suetonius' ‘Life of Vespasian’ 8.” ''The Classical World'', vol. 103, no. 4, 2010, pp. 511–527. * Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew F. ''Suetonius: The Scholar and his Caesars.'' New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press, 1983. * Wardle, David. "Did Suetonius Write in Greek?" ''Acta Classica'' 36:91–103, 1993. * Wardle, David. “Suetonius on Augustus as God and Man.” ''The Classical Quarterly'', vol. 62, no. 1, 2012, pp. 307–326. * Kaster, Robert A., ''Studies on the Text of Suetonius’ “De vita Caesarum”'' (Oxford: 2016).


External links


''The Lives of the Twelve Caesars'' at LacusCurtius
(Latin original, English translation)

(Latin) * * * *
Gai Suetoni Tranquilli De vita Caesarum libri III-VI
Cornell University Library Historical Monographs Collection.

* ttps://www.livius.org/sources/content/suetonius/ Livius.org: Suetonius {{Authority control 69 births 2nd-century deaths Roman-era biographers 2nd-century historians Latin historians Silver Age Latin writers 2nd-century Romans Ancient Roman equites Suetonii 1st-century Romans