The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius (speld decodable readers .txt) 📕

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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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The Venus of Cos was the work of Praxiteles. ↩

The colossal statue of Nero; see Nero, 31.1. ↩

See Augustus, 74 and the note. ↩

See note on Caligula, 55.2. ↩

The Matronalia or feast of married women; see Horace Odes, 3.8.1. ↩

A transliterated Greek word, κυβιοσάκτης, meaning “dealer in square pieces (κύβοι) of salt fish.” ↩

According to Celsus, 2.1, quadratum is applied to a well-proportioned body, neither slender nor fat. ↩

Cf. Macrobius, Saturn 2.1.9, impudica et praetextata verba; Gellius, Noctes Atticae 9.10.4, non praetextatis sed puris honestisque verbis. Various explanations of the term are given. It perhaps means words such as boys use; but see Festus, s.v. praetextum sermonem. ↩

Plaustra was the urban form of the word for “wagons,” but there was also a plebeian form plostra; see Horace, Horatii Flacci Sermonum 1.6.42 and cf. Claudius, Clodius. The original form was plostra. ↩

Iliad 7.213. ↩

Menander, Fr. 223.2, Koch. ↩

Of Augustus; see Augustus, 100.4. ↩

The connection between the stella crinita and the long hair of the Parthian king is obvious; it does not seem accidental that Calvina is connected with calvus, “bald,” though this wordplay seems to have been overlooked. ↩

Claudius and Nero reigned thirteen and fourteen years respectively; Vespasian, ten; Titus, two; and Domitian, fifteen. ↩

Some building of seven stories; the famous Septizonium on the Palatine was the work of Septimius Severus. ↩

Cf. Nero, 33.2 and 3. ↩

See Galba, 14.2 and note. ↩

By the accession of his father Vespasian. ↩

See Augustus, 13.2. ↩

See Nero, 15.2, and note a. ↩

See note on Vespasian, 9. ↩

See Augustus, 43.1. ↩

When the water had been let out; cf. Nero, 27.2. ↩

By humorously pretending to wrangle with those who favoured other gladiators than the Thracians. ↩

Implying that it was his personal loss, which he would make good. ↩

To propitiate the gods, who were supposed to inflict such evils upon mankind by way of punishment. ↩

The office was seldom taken so seriously. Julius Caesar, for instance, held it during his campaign in Gaul. ↩

The weapons of gladiators were regularly examined by the editor, or giver of the games, to see if they were sharp enough; cf. Dio, 68.3, who tells a similar story of the emperor Nerva. ↩

Possibly Domitian’s charge was true; cf. Domitian, 2.3. ↩

The old homestead at Cutiliae, near Reate; see Vespasian, 24. ↩

Various quarters and streets of the city were designated in this way; cf. ad Capita Bubula, Augustus, 5; ad Pirum, Epigrams of Martial 1.117.6. Ad Malum Punicum was a street on the Quirinal hill, probably corresponding with the modern Via delle Quattro Fontane; see Platner, Topography of Rome, p. 485. ↩

Cf. Otho, 12.1, at the end. ↩

See note on Galba, 1. ↩

As son of the emperor. ↩

That is, in the provinces. ↩

He was but eighteen years old at the time. ↩

The usual procedure for a youthful prince; cf. Tiberius, 6.4. ↩

See note on Galba, 6.1. The reference is to his consulships before he became emperor; see Domitian, 13.3. ↩

That is, twice as large as his brother’s. ↩

Titus had the ability to do this; cf. Titus, 3.2, at the end. ↩

See Domitian, 9 and 11.1. ↩

See note on Vespasian, 9.1. ↩

See note on Claudius, 21.2. ↩

See note on Claudius, 21.3. ↩

As well as in poetry. ↩

Established for the worship of the deified Flavian emperors, after the manner of the Augustales; see note on Claudius, 6.2. ↩

See Augustus, 71.3. ↩

While the spectators remained in their seats; cf. Dio, 67.4. ↩

Represented in many cases by tesserae, or tickets; see note on Augustus, 41.2. ↩

In 80; it had previously been destroyed by fire in 69; see Vitellius, 15.3. ↩

Who finished and dedicated it; it was also called the Forum Transitorium because it connected the Forum of Augustus with the Forum Pacis, as well as the Subura with the Forum Romanum. It occupied a part of the Argiletum. ↩

Or Music Hall. ↩

See Domitian, 4.2. ↩

Tacitus Agricola 39 says that his unjustified triumph over the Germans (and the Dacians) was a laughingstock. ↩

See Nero, 16.2. ↩

See Augustus, 74. ↩

See Caligula, 55.2. ↩

See Domitian, 14.2. ↩

That is, those which had formerly been restricted to the senatorial order. ↩

Where the soldiers deposited their surplus