THE TWELVE CAESARS (Roman, 121 CE)
De vita Caesarum (Latin, "About the Life of the Caesars") comprises 12 biographies of Julius Caesar and his 11 successors written by the Roman historian Suetonius (Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, c. 69 to after 122 CE) in 121 CE, during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. It was Suetonius's best-seller (being Hadrian's personal secretary probably helped boost his sales). Considered significant in antiquity, it remains a primary source on Roman history, being often compared to the work of Tacitus. Suetonius also wrote other works, on the daily life of Rome, politics, and the lives of famous writers; most of these have been lost, but a few survive in fragments.
- Suetonius's subjects, in order, were Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, and Titus.
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