Suetonius

The name of Julius Caesar is synonymous with the rise of the Roman Empire. And for good reason, as Roman biographer Suetonius relates about Caesar: “On seeing a statue of Alexander the Great in the temple of Hercules, he sighed deeply, as if weary of his sluggish life, for having performed no memorable actions at an age at which Alexander had already conquered the world.” Indeed, Caesar the general refused to stop with military victories; he wanted much more --- he wanted to be sole show more ruler of everything. You will not find a livelier account of the life of Julius Caesar than in Suetonius. Below are several passages from the text along with my brief comments:

“From this period he declined no occasion of war, however unjust and dangerous; attacking, without any provocation, as well the allies of Rome as the barbarous nations which were its enemies: insomuch, that the senate passed a decree for sending commissioners to examine into the condition of Gaul; and some members even proposed that he should be delivered up to the enemy.” ----------- Roman aristocrats and senators learned the hard way there are unanticipated consequences in sending out generals and professional armies to loot the world.

“In his speeches, he never addressed them by the title of "Soldiers," but by the kinder phrase of "Fellow-soldiers;" and kept them in such splendid order, that their arms were ornamented with silver and gold, not merely for parade, but to render the soldiers more resolute to save them in battle, and fearful of losing them. He loved his troops to such a degree, that when he heard of the defeat of those under Titurius, he neither cut his hair nor shaved his beard, until he had revenged it upon the enemy; by which means he engaged their devoted affection, and raised their valor to the highest pitch.”---------- Suetonius gives us a vivid account of how Caesar transformed his soldier’s allegiance to their country to allegiance to him as their commander. Ah, the power of human charisma.

“With money raised from the spoils of the war, he began to construct a new forum, the ground-plot of which cost him above a hundred millions of sesterces. He promised the people a public entertainment of gladiators, and a feast in memory of his daughter, such as no one before him had ever given. . . . He issued an order, that the most celebrated gladiators, if at any time during the combat they incurred the displeasure of the public, should be immediately carried off by force . . . . Wrestlers likewise performed for three days successively, in a stadium provided for the purpose in the Campus Martius. A lake having been dug, ships of the Egyptian fleets, containing two, three, and four banks of oars, with a number of men on board, afforded an animated representation of a sea-fight. ---------- Nothing like winning over the civilian population by providing them with entertainment on a spectacularly grand scale. And what entertainment – feasting and extreme violence, two ultimate Roman turn-ons.

“He meditated the construction of a temple to Mars, which should exceed in grandeur everything of that kind in the world.” --------- As a conquering general, one sure-fire way to silence any opposition to your plundering and brutality: link your action to a divinity and your culture’s mythology and religion.

“He accommodated the year to the course of the sun, ordaining that in future it should consist of three hundred and sixty-five days without any intercalary month; and that every fourth year an intercalary day should be inserted.” ---------- Turns out, we have Julius Caesar to thank for our modern twelve month calendar.

“It is admitted by all that he was much addicted to women, as well as very expensive in his intrigues with them, and that he debauched many ladies of the highest quality.” ---------- Is it any surprise Caesar was addicted to sex as he was addicted to the violence of battle? Sigmund Freud and modern psychology has much to say about the close connection of these two passions.

“He even suffered some honors to be decreed to him, which were unbefitting the most exalted of mankind; such as a gilded chair of state in the senate-house and on his tribunal, a consecrated chariot, and banners in the Circensian procession, temples, altars, statues among the gods, a bed of state in the temples, a priest, and a college of priests dedicated to himself, like those of Pan; and that one of the months should be called by his name.” ---------- True to form for an ancient tyrant, Caesar wanted to be granted the status of a god. I wonder what Caesar was thinking about his godlike status when he realized he was about to be stabbed to death, even by the knife of his son Brutus?



Suetonius available on-line: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6400/6... show less

With the death of the great Augustus, Tiberius, already in his 50s, became the next Roman Emperor and ruled from 14 AD to 37 AD. In a way this was an unfortunate turn of events for the Roman people since Tiberius, always a dark, gloomy, reclusive man, really did not want the responsibility of being the leader of an entire empire. Predictably, not only does Roman biographer Suetonius outline the family history and overarching accomplishments of Tiberius’s 22 year reign, but provides much show more color commentary on the character of the man. Here are a few highlights along with my comments:

“He had such an aversion to flattery, that he would never suffer any senator to approach his litter, as he passed the streets in it, either to pay him a civility, or upon business. And when a man of consular rank, in begging his pardon for some offence he had given him, attempted to fall at his feet, he started from him in such haste, that he stumbled and fell.” ---------- Too bad life didn’t leave Tiberius alone, so he could live the last phase of his life in peace and quiet, far from the maddening crowd.

“He reduced the expense of the plays and public spectacles, by diminishing the allowances to actors, and curtailing the number of gladiators.” --------- I’m sure the Roman populous saw their emperor as a supreme killjoy. What was Tiberius thinking? The Roman people loved their comedies, farces, satires, chariot races and especially gladiator fights – the more the merrier. If you want to win the hearts of these people, give the people more plays and bloody games, not less.

“He published an edict against the practice of people's kissing each other when they met.” ---------- It takes a dark, gloomy, morose man to ban kissing. Come on, Tiberius, give us a break.

"A few days after his arrival at Capri, a fisherman coming up to him unexpectedly, when he was desirous of privacy, and presenting him with a large mullet, he ordered the man's face to be scrubbed with the fish; being terrified at the thought of his having been able to creep upon him from the back of the island, over such rugged and steep rocks. The man, while undergoing the punishment, expressing his joy that he had not likewise offered him a large crab which he had also taken, he ordered his face to be farther lacerated with its claws." ---------- Such cruelty. If the fisherman only realized how sadistic Tiberius was, he would have kept his mouth shut and thus avoided having his face lacerated.

"In his retreat at Capri, he also contrived an apartment containing couches, and adapted to the secret practice of abominable lewdness, where he entertained companies of girls and catamites, and assembled from all quarters inventors of unnatural copulations, whom he called Spintriae, who defiled one another in his presence, to inflame by the exhibition the languid appetite. . . . He likewise contrived recesses in woods and groves for the gratification of lust, where young persons of both sexes prostituted themselves in caves and hollow rocks, in the disguise of little Pans and Nymphs." ---------- That’s one way to try to overcome your gloominess – but far from the way any Greco-Roman philosopher would recommend.

“Of many who were condemned, their wives and children shared the same fate; and for those who were sentenced to death, the relations were forbid to put on mourning.” ---------- Can you imagine? Prohibiting family members mourning the death of their loved ones murdered unjustly?

“The people were so much elated at his death, that when they first heard the news, they ran up and down the city, some crying out, "Away with Tiberius to the Tiber;" others exclaiming, "May the earth, the common mother of mankind, and the infernal gods, allow him no abode in death, but amongst the wicked." ---------- Good riddance! If I were living in Rome at the time, I’d be running and dancing up and down the city streets celebrating the death of a such a foul, decrepit and heartless emperor.


Suetonius available on-line: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6400/6... show less

Ha! Here's a massive must-read about Roman history; especially the rise of the Empire - from Julius Caesar's death and its consequences upon the establishment of the Principate, up to the fall of Domitian. The problem is, this is not history how I personally like it; if it can be called 'history' at all!

I get it: Suetonius writes biographies, and biography, for him, means mainly focusing on private lives. This is not an innocent approach. Private lives are his way to gauge the personalities show more and characters of his subjects, and, so, 'explain' their achievements as rulers. What's the issue with that, then? Well...

Then as now, I don't see how bringing forth the family issues, sexuality, eccentricities, vices and individual shortcomings of people in power can serve as a reliable tool to judge of their deeds as politicians. What goes on in private is what goes on in private; and public life is often all other and unrelated. True, in Ancient Rome both were often going hand-in-hand (eg. one cannot understand the political feuds within a dynasty without knowing about the familial and marital conflicts plaguing it). But, then as now, such failures of characters and supposed feuds and how they went on is more often than not relying on gossips, libels, hearsays, and, so, should be taken with a serious pinch of salt! Is this all true and reliable? Or are these 'supposed' vices and outrageous behaviours just deliberate slanders playing into political agendas? Politics was a dirtier business back then that it is now! But, I get that too: then as now, Suetonius's delights in dragging most of his subjects into the mud by overplaying the scandalous will be as entertaining and crusty as the crass and vulgar tabloids of our days. Such gossips and lurid details, after all, became the stuff of history (Tiberius, Caligula, Nero... it's all in there!). So what did I expect?

Well, when it comes to such primary sources, I like history as a narrative. I like reading about achievements (military, political...) and, so, I have no patience for the privy and gossipy. I'm not saying Suetonius has no historical interest! He relies on primary sources too (eg letters from Augustus and Mark Anthony, memoirs of Tiberius and Claudius, poetry of Nero... all quoted verbatim). He also quotes popular songs and jokes which tells a lot about how rulers were perceived by their subjects. But, you would be very hard-pressed to find anything detailed about their deeds (eg Julius Caesar might have been a great conqueror, you wouldn't know it reading this!).

Now, some are clearly admired (Julius Caesar again, Augustus, even Vespasian comes out fine...). The other biographical snapshots, however, are striking (and, to me, annoying) for their downright and always predictable negativity. Tiberius? He claims: 'Some aspects of his criminal obscenities are almost too vile to discuss, much less to believe' (before, of course, discussing them at length!). Claudius? He is completely dismissed: 'all these acts, and others like them - indeed, one might say throughout his reign - were dictated by his wives and freedmen: he practically always obeyed their whims rather than his own judgement.' And it goes on. And on. And on. And on! The negativity, in fact, is quite boring; especially when coupled with the lack of depth when it comes to public achievements.

So? Well... These biographies might be crusty for their sensationalism, nearly all men here exposed in their supposed trashy behaviours; and, this might make for an entertaining read. However, I, for one, rather go and read Tacitus... There: Suetonius is not for me. show less

The Roman historian Suetonius (70 AD – 130 AD) wrote The Twelve Caesars in clear straightforward prose. The modern world derives much knowledge of Roman rulers and Roman society, Roman culture and Roman decadence from his writing. Suetonius’s philosophic temper reveals itself in the many vivid comments he makes on that most esteemed of Roman virtues: strength of character. I find this to be particularly true in his life of Otho who ruled as Roman Emperor for 3 months at age 38. Below are show more quotes taken from text along with my brief comments.

“He was from his earliest youth so riotous and wild, that he was often severely scourged by his father. He was said to run about in the night-time, and seize upon any one he met, who was either drunk or too feeble to make resistance, and toss him in a blanket.” ---------- No question, the future emperor was a hellraiser as a teenager. My sense is Suetonius wants us to keep in mind how famous leaders were once very human youngsters.

“He is said to have been greatly frightened that night in his sleep, and to have groaned heavily; and being found, by those who came running in to see what the matter was, lying upon the floor before his bed, he endeavored by every kind of atonement to appease the ghost of Galba, by which he had found himself violently tumbled out of bed.” ---------- Suetonius routinely includes omens and dreams in his chapters on all the Caesars. For Emperor Otho, who had a hand in orchestrating Emperor Galba’s murder, to have such a ghastly nightmare does not bode well for his future.

"Otho, before his advancement to the empire, had such an abhorrence of civil war, that once, upon hearing an account given at table of the death of Cassius and Brutus, he fell into a trembling, and that he never would have interfered with Galba, but that he was confident of succeeding in his enterprise without a war." ---------- Otho was under the impression that with Emperor Galba’s death, he would take over as the next clear-cut emperor. Turns out, this was a catastrophic misjudgment – there was a Roman general in German territory by the name of Vitellius staking his own claim to be emperor. And Vitellius had an entire army of Roman soldiers willing to advance on Rome in his support.

Otho gathers his own army in an attempt to stop Vitellius. But, after marching north, Otho makes a rash decision to do battle without waiting for his reinforcements. His army engages Vitellius but is beaten back. This one decisive defeat is disastrous news for the Roman Empire: there now looms a very real prospect of a long civil war. Assessing the plight, Otho makes a courageous decision. Suetonius writes. “At last, after quenching his thirst with a draught of cold water, he took up two poniards, and having examined the points of both, put one of them under his pillow, and shutting his chamber-door, slept very soundly, until, awaking about break of day, he stabbed himself under the left pap.” ---------- Rather than plunging the entire empire into a bloody civil war, Otho took own life. Such self-sacrifice for the sake of his country was so admired that Suetonius writes: “Many of the soldiers who were present, kissing and bedewing with their tears his hands and feet as he lay dead, and celebrating him as "a most gallant man, and an incomparable emperor," immediately put an end to their own lives upon the spot, not far from his funeral pile.”

“The person and appearance of Otho no way corresponded to the great spirit he displayed on this occasion; for he is said to have been of low stature, splay-footed, and bandy-legged. He was, however, effeminately nice in the care of his person: the hair on his body he plucked out by the roots; and because he was somewhat bald, he wore a kind of peruke, so exactly fitted to his head, that nobody could have known it for such.” ---------- He certainly didn’t look the part of a hero (and Romans put such high premium on one’s good looks) but that didn’t stop Otho, given the dramatic and historic situation, from acting like a hero. Suetonius understand how fate can provide us with an opportunity to define our entire life by one noble act.

“He was not, so far as we can learn, a follower of any of the sects of philosophers which justified, and even recommended suicide, in particular cases: yet he perpetrated that act with extraordinary coolness and resolution; and, what is no less remarkable, from the motive, as he avowed, of public expediency only. It was observed of him, for many years after his death, that "none ever died like Otho."”---------- The Roman Stoics and other philosophic schools considered suicide a noble act when done for noble reasons. Otho’s noble suicide was adjudged akin to the suicides of philosophers such as Seneca and Cato the Younger. Quite high praise, indeed. show less