The Twelve Caesars

The Twelve Caesars is an excellent history book that reads more like a gossip column. It was written by the Roman Suetonius sometime between 96 and 130 A.D.

The book has a short biography for each of twelve Roman emperors. Each chapter has the same structure: early life, military campaigns and political actions, quirks of personality and anecdotes, then premonitions of doom and manner of death. There is plenty of scandalous gossip about the imperial perversions.

The Twelve Caesars are:

1. Julius Caesar
   • Conquered Gaul
   • Rumored to have had an affair with King Nicomedes of Bithnya
   • Assassinated by the Senate on the Ides of March
2. Augustus
   • Also called Octavian
   • Expanded and stabilized the Roman Empire
3. Tiberius, 47 BC - 32 AD
   • Adopted son of Augustus
   • Had a repuation as a tyrant, a lech, and a pervert
   • Built a private garden as a sort of sex resort on the island of Capri
4. Gaius (Caligula), 12 AD - 41 AD
   • Insane and tyrannical
5. Claudius, 10 BC - 54 AD
   • Invaded Britain, Mauretania, Lycia, and Thrace
   • Improved imperial administration
6. Nero, 37 - 68 AD
   • Infamously crazy and extravagant
   • Famous for his artistic pretensions
7. Galba, 3 BC - 69 AD
   • Governor of Spain; rebelled against Nero
   • Ruled for 7 months
8. Otho, 32 - 69 AD
   • Former governor of Lusitania
   • Ruled for only 3 months
9. Vitellius, 15 - 69 AD
10. Vespasian
11. Titus
12. Domitian