Suetonius

The Twelve Caesars

1. IDEA 1

   Twelve rulers shaped Rome

   Suetonius wrote biographies of Julius Caesar and the first eleven emperors of Rome. He described their public achievements and their private habits, including gossip, which made his work lively and memorable.

2. IDEA 2

   Character reveals the ruler

   Suetonius focused on each ruler's personality, appearance and habits, as well as their policies. He believed character helped explain how they ruled. Suetonius treats small personal details as clues to whether a ruler was cruel, generous or weak.

3. IDEA 3

   Julius Caesar rose and fell

   Suetonius describes Julius Caesar's military victories and his rise to supreme power. His ambition led to his assassination in 44 BCE. Suetonius shows how success and power can create dangerous enemies among a ruler's own colleagues.

All 8 ideas from The Twelve Caesars →