The Twelve Caesars or De Vita Caesarum by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus is an enjoyable read for those who are curious about the men who held the power of the known world in their hands. It is one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature documenting the history of the empire, beginning with Julius Caesar. The timeline spans from 44 BCE to 96 CE, and Suetonius himself lived during Emperor Hadrian’s time, dating this book around 50 years after the 12th Caesar.
To put that into perspective, it would be as if someone from the year 4000 were reading a biography on JFK written today.
Timeline
Julio-Claudian Dynasty (49 BCE - 68 CE):
Julius Caesar
Augustus
Tiberius
Caligula
Claudius
Nero
Year of the Four Emperors (68 CE - 69 CE):
Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Flavian Dynasty (69 CE - 96 CE):
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian
The factual accuracy of this book is still up for debate, but its impact on the portrayal of historical characters is evident to this day. For example, the famous crossing of the Rubicon by Julius Caesar is mentioned in this book. The historian paints these men with quite the literary brush; at times, it felt as if I was reading a tabloid about Hollywood celebrities.
All the men are mad in their unique ways, but my takeaway was how power naturally and gradually consolidates and solidifies over time. I finished the book feeling inspired yet slightly depressed, realizing that the human condition does not change. Even though our technology has advanced, I see no difference in the behavior of the ruling class today compared to the elites in antiquity.
