The Lives of the Twelve Caesars

The Twelve Caesars (121 CE) can be considered one of the most picturesque biographical works ever written. It records the lives of the people who brandished complete power in Rome after it transformed from being a republic into an empire in 27 BCE. Suetonius was closely familiar with court life as he was a private secretary to one of the emperors, Hadrian. He uses that information in The Twelve Caesars to reveal insights into the ups and downs of the empire's early years, as well as the ideals a