The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius (speld decodable readers .txt) 📕
Description
Suetonius was a Roman historian born in about 69 AD, shortly after the death of the emperor Nero. This book, detailing the lives of the twelve Roman emperors who were known as “Caesar”—some by a family connection to Julius Caesar, some just as a title—is considered to be Suetonius’ most important work.
The Lives of the Caesars is a detailed account of the often dramatic lives of these emperors, whose abilities and morals varied enormously; from the capable, stable Augustus, to the insane Caligula. Several of these men died violently either by their own hand or by assassins. Suetonius, though, is careful to give credit where it is due, outlining the better actions and laws of each alongside an account of the crimes and immoralities they also carried out.
This turbulent period of Roman history has often been depicted in fiction and in media, drawing on the work of Suetonius and other contemporary historians. For example, Robert Graves’ novel I, Claudius (1934), which was made into a highly-controversial television series by the BBC in 1976.
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- Author: Suetonius
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The host usually occupied the summus locus on the imus lectus. ↩
Ancient divisions of the citizens for political purposes. In cases of adoption the curiae were represented by thirty lictors, presided over by the pontifex maximus. This form of adoption was usual with adults; cf. Augustus, 64.1. ↩
Pandataria. ↩
Planasia. ↩
Iliad 3.40, where the line is addressed by Hector to Paris, with the verbs in the second person. ↩
See Augustus, 47, at the beginning. ↩
As well as Salvidienus. ↩
That is, while a private citizen could quarrel and make up with his friends, the emperor’s position made his anger fatal. ↩
That is to say, holding the highest place in the ordo (senatorius, equestris, plebeius) of which he was a member. ↩
Cf. Augustus, 56.1 and the note. ↩
A double wordplay on orbem, “round drum” and “world,” and temperat, “beats” and “sways.” ↩
Probably referring to Livia. ↩
The choragus at Athens had charge of the costuming and stage setting of plays. Hence the meaning is here “when they had found someone to make them up.” ↩
According to some, the choragus; others regard it as the name of a place. ↩
Corinthiarius: coined in jest on the analogy of argentarius; used in inscr. of slaves in charge of the vasa Corinthia. ↩
Cf. Augustus, 41.1. ↩
When the freedom of the Saturnalia justified it. ↩
When only aces appeared, the throw was called canis; when all the dice turned up different numbers, Venus. ↩
The “five-day” festival of Minerva, March 20–25. ↩
Commonly called peperino, a hard grey volcanic stone with black nodules resembling peppercorns. ↩
Cf. Augustus, 82.1. ↩
With reference to the study of Archimedes, or perhaps to the general use of such elevated rooms in Syracuse. ↩
“Little workshop;” a diminutive from τέχνη. ↩
Opposed to vestis forensis or forensia (vestimenta); cf. Vitellius, 8.1. ↩
The cena recta was a regular dinner, at which the guests reclined on couches at a table, contrasted with sportula, an informal meal (Claudius, 21.4) or a distribution of food. See Friedländer, Roman Life and Manners (English translation), IV pp. 77 ff. ↩
See Augustus, 72.2. ↩
Tellers of marvellous tales; cf. Juvenal 15.16, and Mayor ad loc. Doubtless the same as the fabulatores, Augustus, 78.2, below. ↩
See Augustus, 31.5 and note; some think that the reference is to the Regia in the Forum. ↩
That is, grapes suited for eating and not for making wine; cf. Epigrams of Martial 13.22; Columella, De Re Rustica 3.2. ↩
Like an acid wine. ↩
That is, without a blanket over his feet, because he had his shoes on. ↩
Lucubratoriam, “for working by lamplight.” ↩
The so-called “Roman nose.” ↩
Roman measure; a little less than five feet seven inches (5.58) English. ↩
Ursa major, Charles’s Wain, the Great Dipper. ↩
Apparently a form of poultice; some read habenarum and explain as a kind of truss. ↩
Cf. Horace, Epistles 1.15.2–3. ↩
Cf. Augustus, 72.1, note 177. ↩
Albulae aquae were the sulphur springs which flow into the Anio between Rome and Tivoli (Tibur). ↩
The pila was a small hard ball. Three players stood at the three points of a triangle (whence the game was called trigon) and passed the ball from one to the other. A skilful player used his left hand as well as his right. ↩
The folliculus was a large light ball. The players wore a guard on the right arm, with which they struck the ball, as in the Italian gioco del pallone. ↩
Many games were played with nuts; cf. Horace, Horatii Flacci Sermonum 2.3.171, Epigrams of Martial 5.84, etc. ↩
See Augustus, 81 at the end. ↩
Brutus published a eulogy of Cato in 46 BC; cf. Cicero Epistularum ad Atticum 12.21. ↩
Evidently two archaizing grammarians of the day. ↩
See De Grammaticis, X, at the end. ↩
Thus characterized in contrast with the studied simplicity of the Attic school of orators. ↩
Cato: The great-grandson of Cato the Censor (234–149 BC). A type of austere virtue. ↩
Cf. Catullus 67.21, languidior tenera beta. All these words, which Augustus is said to have used, are colloquialisms or slang, and the exact form and derivation of many of them are uncertain. ↩
Since sumus was originally enclitic, the forms simus, sumus may have represented the sound between u and i in maximus, maxumus, etc.
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