Books by Suetonius
“Suetonius’s work is a collection of biographies of the first 12 Roman rulers, from Julius Caesar through to Domitian. And it really had a crucial sense of shaping our understanding of Imperial Rome as a place of vice and savagery and sexual depravity and violent, brutal, bawdy splendour…the shenanigans of Caligula, who indulged in incest, forced prostitution…or Nero, who actually went one better than Caligula by having his mother killed and is said to have burnt down Rome, although he probably didn’t.” Read more...
The best books on Ancient Rome
Tom Holland, Classicist
Interviews where books by Suetonius were recommended
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1
The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives
by Plutarch -
2
Pericles of Athens
by Vincent Azoulay -
3
Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher
by Armand D'Angour -
4
Nemesis: Alcibiades and the Fall of Athens
by David Stuttard -
5
Agricola
by Harold Mattingly, James Rives & Tacitus -
6
The Twelve Caesars
by Suetonius and Robert Graves (translator)
Biographies of Ancient Greeks and Romans
Biographies of Ancient Greeks and Romans
The art of biography has been a work in progress down the millennia. These days, leaders are no longer celebrated for the number of enemies killed in war, nor are we as impressed with territorial conquests. Here’s a roundup of all the biographies recommended on Five Books about ancient Greeks and Romans, from contemporary accounts to more recent works.
The best books on Ancient Rome, recommended by Tom Holland
How accurate is what we think we know about the Romans? Tom Holland, the author of Rubicon, tells us about the exercise of power, the staging of ceremony and the influence of religion in ancient Rome. If you’ve enjoyed these recommendations you might be interested in our interview on the best books on Ancient Greece.
