De vita Caesarum (Latin, literal translation: About the Life of the Caesars) commonly known as The Twelve Caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus.
The work, written in AD 121 during the reign of the emperor Hadrian, was the most popular work of Suetonius, at that time Hadrian's personal secretary, and is the largest among his surviving writings. It was dedicated to a friend, the Praetorian prefect Gaius Septicius Clarus.
The Twelve Caesars is considered very significant in antiquity and remains a primary source on Roman history. The book discusses the significant and critical period of the Principate from the end of the Republic to the reign of Domitian; comparisons are often made with Tacitus whose surviving works document a similar period.
Read more about The Twelve Caesars: Critical Approaches: Reliability, Influence On Later Literature
Famous quotes containing the words twelve and/or caesars:
“‘A parted ev’n just between twelve and one, ev’n at the
turning o’ the tide; for after I saw him fumble with the
sheets, and play with flowers, and smile upon his finger’s
end, I knew there was but one way; for his nose was as sharp as
pen, and ‘a babbled of green fields.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“From Paul to Stalin, the popes who have chosen Caesar have prepared the way for Caesars who quickly learn to despise popes.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)